Queen Mary University of London has signed a partnership agreement with the Wuhan-based Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in a move that will create opportunities for collaboration and open doors to students, researchers and staff.
Queen Mary's President and Principal Professor Colin Bailey and Professor Yuanyuan Li, President of HUST signed the Memorandum of Understanding at an official ceremony in London and Wuhan, where the event was also attended by Martin Walley, Deputy Consul General at the British Consulate-General. By further affirming this international partnership, Queen Mary will be able to share its world-leading expertise while strengthening its commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and innovation.
The partnership aims to establish joint teaching and degree programmes, staff and student exchanges, summer schools and joint research institutes, among other ventures. Based initially on studies and research in the fields of medicine, engineering, economics and management, the agreement also provides the potential for expansion into other areas and disciplines.
Queen Mary has been working with HUST since 2019 and the relationship has continued to develop despite a global pandemic. As Covid-19 spread around the world in spring 2020, HUST’s medical school shared their experience in makeshift hospitals with their counterparts at Queen Mary’s Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
Professor Colin Grant, Vice Principal International, Queen Mary University of London said: "We are thrilled to be building our partnership with the Huazhong University of Science and Technology. For many years we’ve worked hard to be a truly global university, which is only possible by building bridges with other leading institutions from around the world.
"Together with HUST, we will create unrivalled opportunities for achieving scientific breakthroughs and academic excellence. This is the latest step in our exciting journey together."
Professor Jianguo Chen, Vice President of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Dean of Tongji Medical College said: "The HUST-Queen Mary partnership is a relatively young but robust one. The past few years have seen multiple mutual exchanges at senior level, and diversified programs in teaching as well as research have been put in place to bring the two institutions closer. The signing of the Key Partnership Agreement between HUST and Queen Mary is a major milestone for our collaboration and partnership, which I am sure will continue to thrive and flourish in the years to come."
Queen Mary has long been committed to engaging internationally, from education to research, partnerships and stakeholder work, to impact areas around the world. Our Strategy 2030 commits us to further develop the global Queen Mary family and footprint. We will continue to build strategic partnerships with the very best universities and businesses overseas, further develop our global policy relationships and expand and bring greater coherence to our physical and virtual international footprint. Ultimately we aim to be the most inclusive university of its kind, anywhere.
Queen Mary has a long history of welcoming students from around the world and over 4,500 students are currently studying on our transnational education programmes in China. We hope to welcome HUST students to our campus in London and see Queen Mary students travelling to Wuhan to participate in student mobility opportunities with HUST in the near future.
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