Developing international research collaborations

Teesside University welcomed a Chinese delegation from Wuhan Polytechnic University to celebrate the next phase of collaborative working between the institutions.

Academics from both universities met to formalise plans for the launch of a joint PhD programme during the visit last month.

The new programme marks the beginning of a collaborative research relationship between the universities, building on an academic exchange partnership which has lasted over two decades.

A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed by Teesside University’s School of Health & Life Sciences and Wuhan Polytechnic University’s School of Food Science & Engineering.

Dr Warren Harrison, Pro Vice-Chancellor (International), Professor Stephen Cummings, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange), Dr Kevin Thomas, Associate Dean (International), Professor Jeff Breckon, Associate Dean (Research and Innovation), and Dr Jibin He, Head of Department (Life Sciences), hosted the delegation from Wuhan Polytechnic University.

During the visit, Professor Yongqing Hou, Vice-President (Research), Professor Jianfen Li, Director of Research and Innovation, Dan Chen, Department of Student Affairs, Binbin Li, Secretary of the Party Committee, and Professor Xuedong Wang and Professor Dan Yi, Vice-Deans (Research), toured Teesside University.

They were particularly impressed with the campus and its resources, focusing on the capabilities of BIOS, the £36.9m health and medical facility, and Teesside University’s National Horizons Centre, a centre of excellence for biosciences.

Dr Warren Harrison, Pro Vice-Chancellor (International), said: “Teesside University is committed to developing its global network of partners to transform lives and economies internationally.

“We were delighted to welcome our friends from Wuhan Polytechnic University and look forward to visiting them in China within the next year as our collaborative research relationship continues to grow.”

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