To further strengthen Lingnan University’s global academic network, Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University; Prof Bradley R. Barnes, Interim Associate Vice-President (Global Affairs) cum Director of Global Education; and Prof Li Jia, Associate Professor of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, visited several well-known universities in the UK respectively. The itinerary in early April, included Imperial College London, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the University of Sheffield, Queen Mary University of London, the University of York, the University of Surrey, Brunel University of London, the University of Kent and the University of Westminster. Several meetings took place with fruitful discussions, surrounding academic collaboration with these potential international partners.
Lingnan University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Sheffield, one of the world’s leading research universities. This was the first collaborative agreement, between the University of Sheffield and Lingnan which aims to provide a catalyst to nurture greater international academic cooperation between the two parties. It offers the opportunity for both institutions to build on their complementary strengths in academic excellence and foster the development of global leaders in the digital era.
The MoU was signed by President S. Joe Qin, and Prof Koen Lamberts, President of the University of Sheffield. It aims to promote greater collaboration, including staff and student exchange opportunities, arrangements for short and long-term teaching, joint research prospects and reciprocal visits.
President S. Joe Qin said: “The University of Sheffield is one of the globally leading comprehensive universities. Like Lingnan University, Sheffield has a long history of development and a deep academic foundation. We look forward to leveraging this MoU as a foundation for collaborations, leading to impactful achievements in areas such as student exchange and academic research.”
Prof Bradley R. Barnes added: “The University of Sheffield is a prestigious institution and is normally ranked among the world’s top 100 universities. The institution has a remarkable history, with six Nobel laureates. Being from the city and having spent five years previously as a Professor and Associate Dean for Internationalisation, I am particularly excited by the prospects that this MoU can bring.”
During the visit, President Qin was invited to participate in the International Conference on “Global Approaches to Generative AI in Higher Education”, co-hosted by Peking University and the London School of Economics and Political Science. As a guest speaker, he participated in a panel discussion on “What is Digital Intelligence?”, sharing Lingnan’s leading exploration and practice in digital education.
During his visit to the Imperial College London, President Qin presented his research findings on “Principal Predictors of Multi-dimensional Time Series for Process Monitoring”. He and Prof Li Jia, Associate Professor of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, also had an in-depth exchange with experts and scholars at the university.
President Qin also met with Mr Ding Mingqin, Minister Counsellor for Science and Technology Affairs of China's Embassy in the United Kingdom, to discuss Sino-British cooperation in science and technology and the transfer of achievements.
