From September 22nd to 29th, Wang Yonggui, President of Zhejiang Gongshang University (ZJSU), led a delegation to visit the University of Sussex, Durham University, Lancaster University, EHL Hospitality Business School in Switzerland and Les Roches. During this visit, a new round of inter-institutional cooperation memoranda was signed, thereby expanding and deepening educational exchanges and comprehensive collaboration with renowned European universities.

During the visit to the University of Sussex, the delegation engaged in in-depth discussions with Vice-Chancellor Robin Banerjee and others. Banerjee provided an overview of the university's history, notable achievements, and the development of its AI research center. Wang emphasized that the university will continue to promote high-quality collaborative education with Sussex, expediting the preparation and application process for joint doctoral programs. He expressed a commitment to further expanding substantive exchanges and cooperation between the two institutions in fields such as business administration, statistics, social sciences, computer science, management engineering, and interdisciplinary studies, thereby embarking on a new chapter of comprehensive, strategic collaboration.

Both parties concurred that the Zhejiang Gongshang University-Sussex AI Institute, established in April 2020, has emerged as a vital platform for synergistic development in the digital era. The ongoing collaboration has already yielded considerable social impact, nurturing outstanding academic researchers and pioneering leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship within the realm of artificial intelligence.

Following the meeting, the delegation visited three advanced laboratories at the School of Engineering and Informatics, where 20 students from Sussex Artificial Intelligence Institute of ZJSU were recommended for further studies. President Wang  encouraged them to seize the opportunity, engage in diligent study, and continuously enhance their skills, contributing to the prosperity of the nation.

ZJSU delegation was greeted by Vice President Kieran Fernandes of Durham University accompanied by personnel from business school. He also gave a brief introduction of the university and expressed their desire for cooperation. He added, the university is a top business school rankingwithin the world’s top 1%, which boasts triple international certifications, namely AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. After hearing the report, Wang said Durham’s academic and international atmosphere was highly consistent with ZJSU’s development goals. Both parties could share their own resources for common development, and he was especially looking forward to a deep collaboration between ZJSU’s Schools of Tailong Finance, Business Administration and Economics and Durham University Business School (DUBS), thus laying a more frequent and in-depth foundation for exchanges. Both sides have agreed that cooperation on scientific research and teaching in finance should be consolidated. Students of Tailong Finance School should be given more opportunities to pursue a master's degree at Durham. We should also seek joint research cooperation in business administration and statistics, discuss the establishment of a China-UK International Business Alliance, and promote the signing of a framework memorandum for potential cooperation.

During their stay at Lancaster University, the delegation was warmly received by President Andy Schofield, and the two sides had in-depth exchanges. After a discussion on the blueprint for cooperation between Lancaster University and Chinese universities, Wang expected a closer cooperation with the university and Leipzig Campus in Germany. He hoped that the establishment of inter-university cooperation and key cooperation orientations should be combined with our respective advantages to carry out research cooperation on a multi-dimensional, multi-disciplinary, and in-depth exploration.   

 

Lancaster University Management School is one of the Business Schools certified by AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, and SBC. In the REF2021 rankings, the Management School was rated as "world pioneer" for its 100% research atmosphere and it secured NO.1 within the United Kingdom for its research capability.Members of the delegation have expressed their expectation for an in-depth discussion on student training, faculty growth, application of international research projects, holding international academic conferences and establishing joint research institutes, etc.

During their stay at Switzerland, Wang engaged in pleasant talks with Vanessa Balouzet, Director of Global Business Development, EHL group, Wei-Cheng CHEN, Director of educational counseling. Wang was very intrigued by the development history and status quo of EHL Hospitality Business School. He then pointed out that ZJSU’s School of Tourism and Urban-Rural Planning is the only college in Zhejiang Province that boasts a complete training system for undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral and postdoctoral students in Tourism Management. Hangzhou is a popular tourist city with a long history, rich cultural traditions and it is full of vitality for economic growth, which is beneficial in broadening international horizons of students from the EHL. What’s more, by expanding cooperation with the university, we can leverage ZJSU's business strength to join hands with other related schools, and taking advantages of Lausanne's pan-service industry. Director Vanessa could not agree more with what Wang said, and she was looking forward to more and deeper exchanges with ZJSU, with help from the Greater China Affairs Office to expand bilateral cooperation.

ZJSU delegation was warmly received by President Giovanni Odaglia of Les Roches and Xu Jiaojiao of the school’s Greater China chief representative (alumni of ZJSU’s School of Public Administration, majoring in social work). Heads of both universities signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. In the years to come, the two universities will reinforce partnership to sign an agreement on scholarship, expand its coverage and raise the amount. Also, they will welcome more teachers and students to exchange visits, strengthen a friendly tie between the two universities to probe into the possibility of cooperative education programs in interdisciplinary tourism management, thus writing a new chapter for bilateral cooperation in an open, inclusive, cooperative and win-win spirit.

 

This trip entailed visits to three prestigious research universities in the UK, as well as two esteemed Swiss hotel management institutions (one of which holds the top global ranking), which not only fortifies international exchange and collaboration between our institution and elite universities in developed European nations, but also broadens the horizons of our international educational endeavors. It holds considerable significance for augmenting our international academic standards and advancing the establishment of high-caliber universities.