A meeting was held at Shanxi University between universities in Shanxi province and the UK’s Aston University on Oct 13.

Presidents, vice presidents and other senior personnel from the province’s universities attended the conference and discussed issues including different ways of cooperating, the benefits of international exchanges, and each school’s dominant disciplines. The UK delegation was headed by Helen Higson, provost and deputy vice chancellor of Aston University.

Li Yue’e, vice chairperson of the CPPCC Shanxi municipal committee, represented Shanxi province’s education sector and expressed thanks to the delegation in a keynote speech at the event.

Li then shared her experiences of being a student at Aston University and reviewed the university’s exchanges with Shanxi University in her speech. She emphasized the huge importance of international exchanges for educational progress. She expressed her hopes that the University of Aston and Shanxi University will expand their exchanges to fields including colleges, research institutes, and international societies.

Li also proposed improving communications and reforms such as a training program for exceptionally gifted students, joint research projects and new methods of teaching. In conclusion, she spoke about the prospect of exploring new approaches to boost the relationship between China and the UK.

Higson, vice chancellor of Aston University, thanked the provincial ministry of education and all the universities attending the meeting. She outlined the dominant disciplines and research projects of her university.

She said that the school attached great importance to collaboration with Shanxi’s universities and concluded her speech by speaking of her hopes for furthering mutually beneficial ties in the future.

Shanxi University signed an inter-school exchange agreement in 2002 and sent exchange students to UK the same year. By 2016, nearly 300 outstanding undergraduates have been sent to Aston for study.

Shanxi University’s Party secretary, Shi Shuai, met with the UK delegation on Oct 12 and signed an agreement with Aston University.