CCNU Leads Delegation to Italy and UK to Deepen European Educational Cooperation

From October 11 to 17, Vice President Liu Hongda led a delegation to Italy and the United Kingdom at the invitation of host institutions. The delegation visited Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and Politecnico di Milano in Italy, as well as University College London, Newcastle University and the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom. Members paid courtesy calls on the Education Section of the Chinese Consulate General in Milan and the Education Section of the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom. They also met with faculty and students of the university’s international training programs Future Educators and DigitalOriented Teachers in the UK, and held exchanges with Chinese students and scholars in Italy and the UK, further expanding the university’s European cooperation network.

During the visit to Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Liu Hongda held discussions with Edilio Mazzoleni, Rector’s Assistant for International Affairs, and Alessandro Antonietti, Dean of the Faculty of Psychology. Both sides exchanged views on student mobility, joint scientific research, and initiatives such as Study Tour in China and Study Tour around the World.

Luciano Traquandi, Professor at the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano, extended a warm welcome to the delegation. He introduced the school’s general profile and its featured interdisciplinary courses integrating psychology and management, expressing expectations for cooperation between the two universities in academic exchanges and student internship and training programmes.

Wei Li, Dean of the UCL Institute of Education, met with the delegation. Representatives from both universities briefed each other on institutional developments and conducted practical consultations focusing on advancing joint training programmes for students in education and related disciplines. Liu Hongda noted that the UCL Institute of Education had run the overseas training programme Future Educators for the university’s governmentfunded teacher education students for three consecutive years. He hoped both sides would continue to refine curriculum delivery and practical activities to build the programme into a flagship example of ChinaUK educational cooperation. While in London, the delegation also met participants of the Future Educators programme studying locally.

At Newcastle University, the delegation conducted onsite inspections of campus facilities for study and student life, including student accommodation, sports halls, activity centres, and teaching buildings and laboratories of the School of Psychology and the School of Computing. The delegation met teachers participating in the DigitalOriented Teachers international training programme and held talks with ViceChancellor Stephannie Glendinning and other officials regarding facultystudent exchanges and talenttraining cooperation.

During the visit to the University of Glasgow, VicePrincipal Jo Gill received the delegation for talks. Both sides reviewed the history and fruitful outcomes of their collaboration on overseas study programmes dating back to 2009, and had indepth discussions on bilateral student mobility, faculty exchanges and joint research in psychology, education, computer science and other fields. At the meeting, the two parties exchanged renewed agreements on overseas study programmes and agreed to take this opportunity to broaden cooperation areas and improve the quality of highlevel international talent development.

Throughout the overseas trip, the delegation paid separate courtesy calls on the Chinese Consulate General in Milan and the Education Section of the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom. They reported on existing cooperation and future plans between the university and highereducation institutions in Italy and the UK, and engaged in indepth dialogue with Chinese students and scholars residing in the two countries.