From March 25 to 31, 2026, Vice President Wu Dan of Central China Normal University (CCNU) led a delegation on an official visit to France and the United Kingdom to deepen European exchanges and expand CCNU’s global cooperation network. The delegation visited Université Paris Cité, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), University of Oxford, and Newcastle University. They attended iConference 2026, met with representatives of the iSchools Caucus, and held a global promotion event for CCNU.
During the visit to Université Paris Cité, the two universities signed a student exchange agreement and held in-depth discussions on research collaboration and joint talent training.
Accompanied by CCNU alumna Ms. Sun Min, a staff member of UNESCO, the delegation visited UNESCO and received advice on training and nominating candidates for international organizations.
At the University of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute, Prof. Wang Shidong welcomed the delegation and hosted a productive meeting. Both sides reviewed faculty and student exchange programs and explored cooperation opportunities in artificial intelligence, data science, and interdisciplinary fields.
At iConference 2026, Vice President Wu Dan met with Dr. Slava Stetsko, Executive Director of the iSchools Caucus, to discuss building an international academic alliance, fostering information science talent, and sharing academic resources.
At Newcastle University, Vice President for Global Engagement Li Li and Vice Provost for Education Ruth Valentine met the delegation. Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in student and faculty exchanges, joint research, and co-developed courses. The delegation also visited the UK National Data Innovation Centre to study best practices in data governance, analysis, and industry–academia collaboration.
Throughout the trip, the delegation met with Mr. Zhou Jiagui, Education Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in France, and Mr. Zhou Wei, Education Counsellor, and Mr. Li Xiao, Science and Technology Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the UK. They also met with representatives of the UK Chinese Examination Board, Chinese students and scholars in the UK, and CCNU alumni in Europe, and held a promotion event in London to enhance CCNU’s international influence and global partnership network.
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