31 July 2019 at 9:00 am
Otago strengthens its engagement with China
A new bilateral agreement between the University of Otago and Nanjing Medical University was signed during a recent 12-day visit to China to celebrate the University of Otago’s 150th anniversary and to mark 25 years since the establishment of the Shanghai – Dunedin sister city relationship.
The agreement with Nanjing Medical University will see increased engagement between the two institutions in research as well as staff and student mobility, starting with a Nanjing Medical University delegation visiting the University of Otago later this year.
University of Otago, Deputy Vice-Chancellor – External Engagement, Professor Helen Nicholson said Nanjing Medical University was a well-respected and internationally recognised institution.
“We are looking forward to building strong academic, research and mobility links with them, with a focus on pharmacy and the wider health sciences.”
Professor Nicholson and Director International, Jason Cushen, travelled as part of the Dunedin City mayoral delegation to mark the 25th anniversary of Dunedin’s sister city relationship with Shanghai, as well as to hold alumni events in Shanghai and Beijing to celebrate the university’s 150th anniversary.
The Shanghai visit involved the University of Otago and Dunedin City in a number of events including a meeting with the Mayor of Shanghai on 15 July, a formal Shanghai City welcome banquet, and meetings with key education institution partners including Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the University of Shanghai.
“We marked these important milestones and honoured our sister-city relationship with a number of events held in conjunction with the mayoral delegation. The strong relationship between the University of Otago and the City of Dunedin is an important factor in the University’s engagement with Shanghai and greater China,” said Professor Nicholson.
