Source: Office of International Cooperation and Exchange
Written by: Zhang Zhe, Han Ying
Translated by: Wu Suizhen
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

On October 28th, a signing ceremony to renew the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Sun Yat-sn University (SYSU) and the University of Glasgow (UofG) and a workshop to celebrate 35 years of collaboration between the two universities was held online. Prof Xiao Haipeng, SYSU Executive Vice President, and Ms Rachel Sandison, UofG Vice-Principal of External Relations, participated in the signing ceremony and the workshop. Over 20 representatives from the disciplines of Medicine, Physics and Astronomy, English, and Geosciences as well as relevant departments of the two universities attended the meeting.

The signing ceremony was jointly hosted by Professor Lu Yutong, Director of SYSU Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, and Professor William Cushley, UofG Assistant Vice-Principal. Executive Vice President Xiao Haipeng introduced SYSU’s recent development and its efforts in sending healthcare professionals to Wuhan and Serbia for COVID-19 prevention and control in his address.

Executive Vice President Xiao Haipeng pointed out that UofG is one of the earliest overseas partner universities of SYSU, and the two universities have maintained close exchanges and cooperation since the partnership was established in 1985. He hoped that the two universities would deepen practical cooperation and would further expand collaboration in the future. He also introduced SYSU’s major research platforms for cooperation such as Tianqin Center, the oceanographic research and training vessel, and the National Supercomputer Center in Guangzhou.

Vice-Principal Rachel Sandison introduced the recent development of UofG and its research projects on Covid-19. She stressed that SYSU is an important partner of UofG, and the partnership between the two universities has been thriving over the past 35 years with still many opportunities of research cooperation to be explored. She hoped that the cooperation between SYSU and UofG would ascend to new heights and would produce results that would have an impact on both countries and even worldwide.

Witnessed by all attendees, Executive Vice President Xiao Haipeng and Vice-Principal Rachel Sandison signed the new memorandum of understanding.


After the signing ceremony, more than 20 faculty and staff members from the two universities attended four workshops focusing on Medicine, Physics and Astronomy, English, and Geosciences, respectively. During the workshops, representatives from both sides reviewed the history of the partnership, explored new opportunities for cooperation and reached multiple consensuses on future plans.

Established in 1451 in Glasgow, Scotland, the University of Glasgow is a renowned public research university in the UK. It is ranked 77th in the 2021 edition of the QS World University Rankings. SYSU and UofG signed the first memorandum of understanding in 1985, and have developed collaborative and exchange programs in many disciplines including Medicine, Physics, English, Geography, and Dentistry.