On September 20th to 21st, a delegation of four representatives from Brunel University London, led by President Andrew Jones, visited our university for an exchange and cooperation in education. The purpose of the visit was to share experiences and promote further development of the partnership between the two universities.
On the morning of September 20th, Liu Jun, Party Secretary of the CPC North China University of Technology Committee of NCUT, met with Andrew Jones and his delegation. Liu Jun highlighted the similarities between the two universities, such as their industrial backgrounds and complementary academic resources. He expressed his belief in the great potential for cooperation and development between the two universities. Since April 2020, significant progress has been made in the joint educational programs, with nearly 800 students currently enrolled in the Brunel London School North China University of Technology and the year of 2024 will have the first graduating class. Liu Jun emphasized the importance of establishing a benchmark for Sino-foreign cooperative education and pledged continuous support for the high-quality development of the School.Liu Jun further elaborates by combining the international cooperation and educational experience of sister colleges to propose suggestions for deepening and strengthening mul ti-disciplinary cooperation between our two universities.
During the meeting, Andrew Jones acknowledged the progress made in the joint program despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasized the importance of internationalization, industry collaboration, and academic reputation for Brunel University London's development strategy. He expressed his hope that the visit would inject new momentum into the cooperation between the two universities and pave the way for further collaboration in scientific research, industry engagement, and postgraduate education.
On the morning of September 21st, Zhang Lifeng, President of NCUT, held a meeting with President Andrew Jones. Zhang Lifeng emphasized the significance of regular exchanges and visits between the leadership of the two universities in promoting the development of the joint program. He called for further collaboration in joint graduate education, program optimization, faculty development, and research cooperation. Following the meeting, the teams from both universities discussed specific matters related to program development, curriculum integration, faculty allocation, and the establishment of new programs. Consensus was reached on these important issues that are crucial for the healthy development of the joint program.
Wang Jianwen, Vice President of our university, attended both meetings and acknowledged the achievements of the joint school amidst challenging times. Looking towards the future, he emphasized the need to align goals and address issues in preparation for the upcoming evaluation by the Ministry of Education. Looking towards future development, it is important to adhere to goal orientation and problem-solving, taking the upcoming evaluation by the Ministry of Education as a focal point. We should further streamline the supporting mechanisms for cooperation, make early work plans and task arrangements, and ensure a successful evaluation in 2024 with outstanding results. Both parties should clarify specific policies to support students' career development and gradually enhance the attractiveness and social reputation of the cooperative education.
During the exchange, Brunel University London reported on the collaboration between the two universities in joint education. Both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as quality assurance in teaching, preparing for the evaluation by the Ministry of Education, the first graduating students, faculty deployment, policies for further education and research, student exchange programs, faculty training and development, and the establishment of a joint research institute.
During the visit, President Andrew Jones and his delegation visited the National Comprehensive Engineering Training Center and the Innovation and Practice Base for undergraduate students. They had in-depth discussions with faculty and students involved in practical training activities. They also visited the teaching and administrative facilities of Brunel University London, and had meetings with the English teachers working at the university. President Jones also had a discussion with more than 20 senior students from Brunel University London, where he answered their questions and addressed their concerns.
The Dean of the College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences at Brunel University London, Stephen Langdon, the Director of International Cooperation Affairs, Monica Yang, and Maozhen Li, the Chinese Dean and Vice Dean from the British side of Brunel University London, participated in the aforementioned exchange activities.
