On December 9, 2020, Prof. Yu Zhigang, OUC’s President had an online conversation with Prof. David Richardson, Vice Chancellor of the University of East Anglia (UEA). They discussed the two universities’ recent development and cooperation prospects. 

Richardson reviewed his visit to OUC in 2019. He said that facing the severe challenges posed by COVID-19, the two sides should work hand in hand. He also shared what UEA had done to prevent the pandemic and the good news of Michael Houghton, a distinguished UEA alumni, who recently won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Richardson said that the two sides should explore in depth how to better apply scientific theories to practice. He hoped that the two universities could build on the achievements in environmental science, marine science and other fields of natural sciences and explore new directions in liberal arts and humanities to carry out all-rounded and multi-disciplinary cooperation, and jointly meet challenges of the future.

Yu said that OUC attaches great importance to the substantive cooperation with UEA. The pandemic has made the two sides more aware of the importance of close cooperation. Yu reviewed OUC’s recent progress and achievements, including the approval of Deep Sea Spheres and Earth Systems Frontier Science Center by China’s Ministry of Education, and the establishment of Haide College, a cooperative institution between OUC and the University of Adelaide in Australia. Yu fully agreed with Richardson that the pandemic could not stop the cooperation, and the two sides should strengthen exchanges and expand cooperation areas to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.  

During the meeting, representatives of both sides had in-depth conversations on short-term student exchange programs in environmental Science, management, mathematics and English, as well as joint education programs for undergraduates and postgraduates.