Chinese delegation in Fife

Three senior members of a Chinese university have paid a special visit to the University of St Andrews.

The representatives of Nanjing Tech University, led by the institution’s President, spent the day in Fife on a fact-finding mission at Scotland’s first university.

They were met by the Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Louise Richardson and fellow senior members of the University in the visit last week.

The President, Professor Wei Huang, was joined by his colleagues, Professor OU Jin and Professor Ruidong Xia. Professor Jin is Vice Dean of the College of overseas Education as well as a Professor of the College of Civil Engineering. Professor Xia is a Professor at the University’s Institute of Advanced Material.

Nanjing University of Technology, in the Jiangsu Province, specialises in engineering and technology. Its President, Professor Huang, is an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Considered to be in the top 1% of materials scientists in the world, Professor Huang’s 650 papers have been cited over 12000 times by other researchers.

The delegation was met at the University by Professor Malcolm MacLeod, the University’s Vice-Principal (Enterprise & Engagement). They were then taken to University House for a lunch hosted by the Principal.

Professor Macleod said, ‘Nanjing Tech University is one of the leading universities in Asia in materials science and photonics. There are obvious synergies between our two institutions and we are keen to explore how to develop research linkages in the future. We hope to follow up the visit to St Andrews with a reciprocal visit to Nanjing later this year.’

Professor Wei Huang with Professor Ifor Samuel during the visit. Credit Peter Adamson.

The day-long trip included a visit to the School of Physics & Astronomy, where they met with leading laser experts Professors Ifor Samuel and Dr Graham Turnbull.

A round table discussion, led with a presentation by Professor Huang, was followed by a trip to the School of Chemistry to meet Professors Derek Woollins and Nick Westwood to talk about their respective fields of expertise: fuel cells, crystallography and catalysis.

The day ended with the group meeting up with the University’s Director of Admissions, Julie Ramsay, during which they explored possible future collaborations on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

ENDS

NOTE TO PICTURE EDITORS:

Images are available from the visit – please contact the Press Office, contacts below.

Issued by the Press Office, University of St Andrews

Contact Gayle Cook, Senior Communications Manager on 01334 467227 or email [email protected]

Ref: Nanjing visit 260214