On the afternoon of June 2, 2026, a delegation from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Nigeria, led by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Adamu Ahmed, visited the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). President Qikun XUE of SUSTech welcomed the Nigerian delegation, together with representatives from relevant schools and departments, as well as the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI).

During the meeting, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Adamu Ahmed praised SUSTech’s rise as a pioneer in China’s higher education reform and expressed strong interest in its global faculty recruitment strategy and interdisciplinary research model. He highlighted ABU’s strengths as Nigeria’s premier university in agriculture, engineering, medicine, and social sciences, and noted the growing role of the IIOE Nigeria National Center in advancing digital education across the region.

President Qikun XUE welcomed the delegation and noted that 2026 holds special significance for China-Africa educational cooperation. He emphasized that SUSTech, as a young and dynamic research university in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, remains committed to international engagement and innovation-driven education. “Ahmadu Bello University and SUSTech share common aspirations as major universities in our respective countries. We see great potential for collaboration in talent cultivation, research, and industry partnerships,” President XUE said.

During the open discussion, both sides acknowledged their shared commitment to innovation, internationalization, and service to society.  President XUE invited ABU faculty and postdoctoral researchers to use SUSTech’s research facilities, including Asia’s largest cryo-electron microscopy center, for joint research stays of one to two years. Dr. Hao CHEN, Executive Deputy Director of SUSTech Global, suggested that ABU staff could pursue doctoral degrees at SUSTech and that dual undergraduate-degree programs could be developed. Prof. Raymond B. Bako, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) of ABU, expressed strong institutional support for quickly turning intentions of cooperation into concrete programs.