On September 17, David FitzPatrick, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham and Provost of the University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM), led a delegation to Guangxi University for a visit and exchange. Li Guozhong, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Guangxi University, and Xiao Jianzhuang, Vice President of Guangxi University, attended the meeting.

Li Guozhong extended a warm welcome to the delegation and gave a brief overview of Guangxi University’s achievements in discipline development, talent cultivation, scientific research, and international exchange. He emphasized that in recent years Guangxi University has been committed to an internationalization strategy of “Deepening Cooperation with ASEAN, Engaging with the World,” and has continuously advanced practical cooperation with leading universities worldwide to drive the university’s high-quality development. He noted that the University of Nottingham Malaysia has made remarkable achievements in international education and joint research projects. At the China-ASEAN Mayors’ Forum on September 16, the two universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding, laying a solid foundation for future collaboration. He expressed hope that this visit and the MoU would serve as a new starting point to deepen exchanges in faculty and student mobility, collaborative research, academic activities, and joint education programs, thereby yielding more substantive results and opening a new chapter in institutional cooperation.

Professor FitzPatrick expressed his gratitude for the warm reception at Guangxi University. He remarked that the visit gave him a strong impression of Guangxi University’s academic strengths and commitment to cooperation. He looked forward to expanding collaboration between the two institutions in key areas such as artificial intelligence research, economics, engineering innovation, marine studies, and regional development, through joint research, student exchange, academic workshops, and other forms of engagement, with the goal of establishing a long-term and stable partnership.

Vice President Xiao Jianzhuang highlighted that Guangxi University has distinctive strengths in regional disciplines and ASEAN-oriented cooperation platforms, while the University of Nottingham possesses extensive global resources and world-class research capacity. He emphasized that the two institutions share broad prospects for cooperation in joint talent cultivation, collaborative research teams, and faculty training, and that both sides could achieve mutual benefit through complementary advantages.

During the meeting, the two sides held in-depth discussions on talent training, joint laboratories, and collaborative research projects.

Prior to the meeting, the delegation visited the School of Mechanical Engineering, the School of Electrical Engineering, the School of Computer and Electronic Information/School of Artificial Intelligence, the China-ASEAN School of Economics/School of Economics/China-ASEAN Institute of Financial Cooperation, and the Medical School at Guangxi University, where they learned about the unique strengths and development achievements in discipline construction, research, and talent cultivation.

The University of Nottingham, a member of the Russell Group, is one of the UK’s leading public research universities, founded in 1881. It ranks 97th in the latest QS World University Rankings and enjoys a strong international reputation, with campuses in the UK, China (Ningbo), and Malaysia, and a high proportion of international students. Renowned for its teaching and research excellence, it has nurtured multiple Nobel laureates. The University of Nottingham Malaysia, established in 2000, was the first international campus of a British university, offering UK-awarded degree programs recognized by China’s Ministry of Education.

The meeting was also attended by representatives from the Guangxi Association of Mayors, as well as leaders from Guangxi University’s Office of Academic Affairs, Office of Scientific Research, Graduate School, International Cooperation and Exchange Department, School of Mechanical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, School of Computer and Electronic Information/School of Artificial Intelligence, School of Business, Medical School, and the China-ASEAN School of Economics/School of Economics/China-ASEAN Institute of Financial Cooperation.