Visit to British and Germany Universities by USST Delegation

In early December, Sheng Chun, Deputy Secretary of USST Party Committee and Vice President of USST, was invited to lead the delegation to Liverpool John Moores University, Edge Hill University, University of Oxford and University of Applied Sciences Europe for an eight-day visit. Members of the delegation included the teachers from the School of Environment and Architecture, the Student Affairs Office and the International Affairs Office. This visit aimed to deepen and promote the cooperation projects and explore more areas to cooperate with high-level universities so as to reach a consensus on some aspects, such as student group exchanges, credit programs, teacher exchange training, joint student development and joint scientific research.

The delegation visited the Formula-one Racing Laboratory and the Marine Simulation Laboratory at Liverpool John Moores University. The university is a British partner university of our Sino-British cooperative education program. Both universities have established partnerships for 11 years, and over the past two years, it has sent students to our school for short-term study and cultural exchanges. At the meeting, both sides carried out exchanges and discussions on some matters, such as summer schools, credit programs, 3+1 joint training programs, teacher scientific research cooperation, which has further improved the plan that the students of Liverpool John Moores University will visit USST in the spring. They also discussed the summer program plan for students of USST to the UK for next year.

The collaboration between Edge Hill University and USST began in 2015. From 2015 to 2017, USST organized students to attend the summer course of “British Innovation and Entrepreneurship”. From 2018 to 2019, USST organized high-level students of the football team and high-level students of the track and field team to participate in a special summer camp of football and track and field at Edge Hill University. The delegation investigated the feedback from the previous summer programs and visited the school’s overall teaching and living facilities. They discussed and improved the existing summer programs, and discussed the cultural experience programs in China for students from Edge Hill University. Besides, both sides also further discussed the collaboration in student affairs management, including career guidance, psychological counseling, information management and other support systems.

Regent’s Park College, a constituent college of University of Oxford, was registered as one of the “Permanent Private Halls” of University of Oxford in 1957. The global development and outlook institute at University of Oxford has long been responsible for academic and cultural exchange programs between universities in China and Regent’s Park College. Dean Wang Shidong and the teachers in charge of the institute gave introductions to the college and the institute as well as the Mo Yan Literature Research Center. Both sides have signed cooperative agreements on student exchanges and other programs, hoping to enable outstanding students of USST to enter the world’s top university—University of Oxford for summer study and further study through the Oxford Outlook Program, so as to contribute to the construction of the high-level university of USST. Both sides also talked about the possibility of teacher development and training, and joint participation in academic programs and international conferences.

The delegation paid its final visit to University of Applied Sciences Europe. This university was established in 2017 by a merger of the University of Business and Information Technology of Germany and the University of Engineering Arts of Berlin. We discussed interdisciplinary development cooperation, student exchanges and joint training, and finally reached a consensus on further cooperation and signed cooperative agreements. The delegation visited the school’s innovative design teaching and laboratory facilities, and had talks with three USST’s students who are studying there, learning about the students’ studies and lives in Germany. These students expressed their appreciation for the exchange platform provided by USST and also made some suggestions for the further development of the project.

This visit has deepened the exchanges and collaboration between USST and Liverpool John Moores University, University of Cambridge, and University of Applied Sciences Europe, consolidated existing cooperative projects and expanded cooperative areas. It has also promoted the communication and cooperation between Regent’s Park College and USST. This visit has promoted student exchanges, joint training, teacher exchange training and other projects, vigorously cultivated talent, established a brand project, and actively promoted the opening up of  education at USST in new areas.