From February 23 to 27, Professor Wang Houjie, Vice President of Ocean University of China (OUC), led a delegation to Monaco and the United Kingdom. During the visit, the delegation attended the third edition of the Monaco Polar Symposium, inaugurated the Secretariat of the International Antarctic Institute, participated in a series of events at Ocean Sciences Meeting 2026, and visited Heriot-Watt University, a partner institution of OUC. The visit yielded fruitful outcomes in advancing international exchanges and cooperation.
The delegation attended the third edition of the Monaco Polar Symposium. The symposium was jointly organized by the University of the Arctic, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, the International Antarctic Institute, and the Oceanographic Institute, Prince Albert I of Monaco Foundation, with a focus on advancing academic cooperation in Antarctica. Representatives from more than 30 polar research institutions worldwide participated. During the symposium, Vice President Wang Houjie delivered remarks on behalf of the university and announced that OUC would officially assume responsibility for the operation of the Secretariat of the International Antarctic Institute. He noted that since joining the International Antarctic Institute in 2015, OUC has been a steadfast supporter and active contributor to international cooperation in Antarctica. With the Secretariat now transferred to OUC for operation, the university will work closely with all member institutions to further develop the International Antarctic Institute into a more influential platform for global polar cooperation. Founded in 2004, the International Antarctic Institute is an international education alliance jointly established by universities and research institutions engaged in Antarctic education and research. In October 2025, a vote by the member institutions officially confirmed that OUC would take over the operation of the Secretariat.
The delegation attended Ocean Sciences Meeting 2026 in Glasgow. During the meeting, OUC hosted the Global Talent Fair (UK) and a dedicated matchmaking session to promote the university, recruit global talent, and engage in in-depth exchanges with participating experts and scholars. Together with Mission SeaOrbiter, OUC co-organized the side event “Beyond the Deep Blue II”, at which Vice President Wang Houjie delivered remarks at the opening ceremony. More than 40 ocean scientists from around the world exchanged views on frontier topics, including deep-ocean observation, applications of artificial intelligence, and ocean renewable energy. This event marked another important academic exchange following OUC’s “Beyond the Deep Blue” side event of the third United Nations Ocean Conference held in Nice in June 2025.
The delegation visited Heriot-Watt University and held discussions with Professor Steve McLaughlin, Vice-Principal and Provost, along with representatives from the School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences and the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences. The two sides held in-depth exchanges on the operation of the joint education program in Physics and joint PhD supervision and training, and reached a preliminary consensus on advancing research collaboration in interdisciplinary frontier areas, including ocean renewable energy, intelligent underwater equipment, and data science. During the visit, the delegation toured The National Robotarium and learned about its latest research developments in robotics and artificial intelligence.
