Last week, the University of East Anglia (UEA) awarded President Chen Shiyi with an Honorary Doctorate of Science. The UEA graduation ceremony was one highlight of his European tour. President Chen and his delegation visited several top universities such as the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, King’s College London (KCL), and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETH Zürich). The delegation that accompanied President Chen included Vice President Lu Chun, Director of Global Engagement Office Hou Shengtao, and Dean of Graduate School Yang Shuanghua.

July 16 saw hundreds of students descend on Norwich City Football Club’s home ground, Carrow Road, for the first of UEA’s graduation ceremonies that take place over a week. As part of the ceremony, President Chen was made an Honorary Doctor of Science. Chen expressed his gratitude and said that this honor also marked a new chapter of the relationship between SUSTech and UEA. He also pointed out the similarities between the two universities, in that UEA’s motto “Do Different” accords with SUSTech’s efforts in education reform. President Chen also congratulated all the UEA graduates and sent them his best wishes for their future.

President Chen’s delegation then headed to the University of Oxford and met President Richardson. President Richardson, a member of SUSTech’s International Advisory Council, warmly welcomed the delegation, saying that he had been paying close attention to recent developments at SUSTech. President Chen said it was an honor for SUSTech to collaborate with the University of Oxford and yearned for more joint projects in the future.

At Oxford, Chen’s delegation also visited Wolfson College’s President Tim Hitchens, who had visited SUSTech earlier this month. Besides, President Chen also talked to SUSTech students who are studying at Oxford’s summer school, as well as the summer school’s organizers from Hertford College.

Chen’s delegation went to the University of Cambridge on July 17, where they met Vice President Andy Neely. As the first official visit between leaders of the two universities, both leaders were able to learn more about the universities. In addition, they discussion preliminary stages for collaboration opportunities for SUSTech and Cambridge faculty members, researchers and students.

On the morning of July 18, President Chen’s delegation visited Imperial College London to talk with Vice President Maggie Dallman. After discussions on possible collaborations, the delegation spoke with researchers at both the Data Science Institute and the Hamlyn Center for Medical Innovation.

The delegation headed to SUSTech international partner KCL, where they were met by Vice President Robert Lechler. There were significant discussions about their current collaborations on education, research and the next stage of collaboration in medicine. They also talked about their plans for joint education programs for master’s students.

On July 19, the delegation traveled to Switzerland to meet ETH Zürich President Lino Guzzella, another member of SUSTech’s International Advisory Council. Chen and Guzzella both praised each other on their institution’s respective achievements in university development. They also agreed to collaborate more in the coming years.

Later, President Chen visited the laboratories at ETH Zürich’s Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering. There was a long discussion with Entrepreneurial Risks Professor Didier Sornette. Professor Sornette had guest lectured at SUSTech in 2017 about his Dragon King theory of the predictability of certain extreme events.

The delegation’s last stop of the trip is the Consulate General of China in Zurich, which also represents the Principality of Liechtenstein. Consul-General Zhao Qinghua warmly welcomed President Chen and other SUSTech leaders.