At the invitation of three universities in Europe, a delegation from Ocean University of China (OUC) led by President Yu Zhigang started a 10-day collaboration-seeking trip to the University of Bremen (UB) in Germany, University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK and University of Vigo in Spain from July 14 to July 23, 2015.
Fruitful results have been achieved during the visits by the delegation to the three European universities, particularly in boosting OUC’s internationalization strategy, strengthening international cooperation and facilitating student mobility, deepening all-round strategic collaboration with OUC’s partners.
Vice President Li Huajun and heads of the Graduate School, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, College of Marine Life Science, Center for Sino-German Cooperation in Marine Sciences, the Secretariat of International Alliance of Marine-related Institutions (IAMRI) were also part of the delegation.
President Yu shakes hands with Rector Bernd Scholz-Reiter after signing the Strategic Partnership Agreement
The delegation received warm welcome from Prof. Bernd Scholz-Reiter, Rector of UB and Professor Yasemin Karakaşoğlu, Vice Rector of UB. Both sides agreed that productive cooperation is significant for each university to build itself into a world top institution of higher learning, and that joint educational programs from undergraduate level up to graduate level in some strong and hot disciplines can be further strengthened on basis of the existing initiatives, particularly at master and doctoral levels by establishing Sino-German Marine Graduate School and OUC-UB Joint Institute.
The two university heads signed strategic partnership agreement. Representatives from the University of Hamburg, the University of Oldenburg and HZG also participated in the discussion on issues concerning the establishment of the Sino-German Marine Graduate School.
In Bremen, President Yu was also invited to visit the MARUM. He had a talk with Prof. Michael Schulz, Director of MARUM and Chairman of Physical Oceanography Committee of DFG.
President Yu visits MARUM
The delegation visited UEA from July 16 to July 17. The two sides discussed potential cooperation in research and education as well as feasibility of establishing a Confucius Institute at UEA. Professor Yu and Prof. David Richardson, Vice-Chancellor of UEA, recalled their pleasant meeting back in October 2014 when Professor Richardson came to Qingdao and delivered a speech at OUC’s 90th Anniversary celebration.
Both parties decided to continue to support the development of the Alliance/Joint Center in Integrative Ocean Science, adding that necessary measures will be taken to promote concrete collaboration between scientists of the two universities and facilitate high-level joint research programs.
Prof. Richardson said that UEA would make more Vice-Chancellor Scholarships available to OUC’s doctoral students studying at UEA.
They also discussed the feasibility and operation of Sino-foreign cooperative education in areas like environmental science based on the on-going 2+2 program at the undergraduate level. The OUC delegation also visited UEA Art Museum, Enterprise Center and the Research Center at Norwich Science and Technology Park.
President Yu and Vice-Chancellor Richardson shake hands when they meet at UEA
President Yu visits the Norwich Science and Technology Park
The OUC delegation visited University of Vigo from July 20 to July 21. They also received warm welcome from Rector Salustiano Mato, Vice Rector Manuel Fernandez and Professor Emilio Fernandez, director of Campus do Mar. Both sides hoped to strengthen mutual scientific and cultural exchange and facilitate research cooperation with IAMRI as a platform.
The two university heads signed framework agreement on behalf of each university. During the visit, Vice President Li Huajun and Vice Rector Fernandez co-chaired a meeting to discuss how to jointly apply for EU Erasmus + Mundus exchange program. The OUC guests also visited Vigo Marine Research Center.
President Yu and Rector Mato sign the framework agreement
The OUC delegation visits Vigo Marine Research Center
The OUC delegation poses for a group photo together with other participants in the IAMRI Annual Meeting
As the rotating Chairman of IAMRI, President Yu attended the annual meeting and the steering committee meeting. Rector Salustiano Mato was also present at the event and delivered a welcome speech. This year’s meeting, successively chaired by Vice President Li Huajun, Secretary-General of IAMRI, and Prof. Chen Xueen, Executive Secretary-General of IAMRI, was attended by representatives from Pukyong National University, University of Bremen, University of Western Brittany Brest, Campus do Mar, University of Southampton / the National Oceanography Centre, as well as staff of IAMRI Secretariat.
Issues concerning the work plan of the next year, the time and location of the IAMRI meeting to be held in 2016 were discussed during the meeting.
Translated by Allison
Proofread by William ZOU
