The BBC recently reported that a public impact assessment by Nottingham City Council showed that, severing ties with its Chinese sister city would cost Nottingham’s economy as much as # 100m a year. Therefore, the British side will continue to actively pay attention to the benefits of international relations and its benefits. “At a time when the geopolitical landscape is increasingly complex and changing, there is no doubt that a positive and productive relationship between the UK and China is a good thing for both countries.”. Professor Jonathan Garibaldi, Executive President of the University of Nottingham Ningbo and vice president of the University of Nottingham, told the global times recently.
Located in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, the University of Nottingham Ningbo is China’s first sino-foreign cooperatively-run university with an independent campus and independent legal personality, it is seen not only as a symbol of friendly exchanges between Ningbo and Nottingham, but also as a model of sino-british educational co-operation.
The BBC quoted a spokesman for the University of Nottingham as saying, “In three constituency areas in Nottingham City, international students contribute 685 million pounds to the local economy and bring a rich community culture and arts. At the same time, our overseas campuses also use R & D capabilities to find innovative solutions to global challenges,” professor Garibaldi told the Global Times, the University of Nottingham Ningbo of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai are emerging as the high ground for Chinese innovation, creating a diverse and inclusive research environment where knowledge knows no borders. With its unique“Global-local” advantages, it introduces the UK’s top research resources to promote innovation in key areas such as intelligent manufacturing and support regional industrial transformation and upgrading.
Prof Garibaldi says, “Major global challenges such as climate change and public health transcend national borders. We encourage students and academics in the UK and China to break down stereotypes, communicate and work together as much as they can, which will allow us to tackle our common challenges more efficiently and intelligently,” he revealed, in response to the rapidly changing competitive landscape in higher education, it plans to further invest in the Ningbo campus in the next five years and expand courses and research in areas such as technology and finance.
Sino-british educational cooperation involves not only the academic field, but also the exchange of cultural soft power. Professor Garibaldi said the University of Nottingham Ningbo brought together students and faculty from more than 70 countries and regions. Students can opt for the 2 + 2 academic system, spending the first two years on the Ningbo campus, the second two years in University of Nottingham, or one or two semesters of overseas exchange studies to gain cross-cultural academic and social experience. There are also students from the UK and other countries who come to the University of Nottingham Ningbo for professional courses and to deepen their understanding of the Chinese language and culture.
In February this year, the Chinese and British foreign ministers held the strategic dialogue in London and reached consensus, including the visit of the British Education Secretary to China and the China-uk education ministerial consultation. Professor Garibaldi told the Global Times that under the current international situation, the two countries should further deepen all-round cooperation in education, scientific research and culture, education is undoubtedly one of the most resilient and constructive areas of uk-china co-operation. Looking ahead, the two countries can work together to set educational standards for the digital age, develop educational programs, cultivate global talent, and create cultural programs that resonate with the younger generation, the school’s staff and students will continue to play a bridging role in promoting meaningful and influential uk-china cooperation.