The UK-Jiangsu Annual General Meeting was held on 18th November and employed online platform for its sessions. This year, the AGM was organized by University of Liverpool, co-organized by Jiangsu University and Southeast University under the support of Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education and British Council. Senior management, academics and postgraduates from all UK and Jiangsu members attended the AGM via Zoom.

The goal of the AGM 2021 was to provide attendees with practical ideas and opportunities to discuss how to optimize the impact of research and innovation through effective partnerships, communication and engagement.

Opening

British Council Director East China Gill Caldicott, together with Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education Deputy Director General Wang Chengbin, and University of Liverpool Executive Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof. Wiebe van der Hoek delivered opening remarks and congratulated the consortium for the collaboration success.

Presidents Panel

The theme is How do universities and the consortium contribute to the Net-zero Agenda. University of Liverpool Prof. Alan Marshall chaired the Panel.

Senior management from members shared their experience on how each university is making an effort in taking measures for reducing carbon emissions and environment protection. The speakers include Cranfield University Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor Prof. Karen Holford CBE, Hohai University President Prof. Xu Hui, University of Liverpool Executive Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. Wiebe van der Hoek, and China University of Mining and Technology President Prof. Song Xuefeng.

University of Reading Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. Paul Inman, and Jiangsu University President Prof. Yan Xiaohong, joined the panel discussion and proposed low carbon joint research.

Closed Meeting

The Closed meeting was chaired by Partnerships Education from British Council Head David Wang. 61 senior management and university representatives attended the meeting together with British Council and Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education.

Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education made an introduction on the Jiangsu-UK University Joint Education Project (UG), followed by Q&A from UK partners. UKJS would work closely to submit the first application in 2022.

The work plan 2022 was announced by UK and Jiangsu Secretariat, then voted and approved by all partners.

JPDE confirmed that it would continue to support the Visiting Researchers Programme and restart it in 2022. UK would start collecting capacity register.

The membership and activities were also reviewed at the closed meeting.

Academic Panel

The academic leaders three academic subcommittees made a summary of the collaboration this year and announced the plan for 2022.

They are Advanced Manufacturing leaders University of Leicester Prof. Hong Dong and Jiangsu University Prof. Ding Jianning; Environmental Engineering leaders Cranfield University Dr Ying Jiang and Hohai University Prof. Li Yiping; Healthcare leaders University of Reading Dr Weizi Li and Changzhou University Prof. Deng Linhong. The session is chaired by Jiangsu Chair of UKJS and Southeast University Prof. Ye Zhirui.

Industry Forum

The Industry University-Industry-Research Collaboration Forum was chaired by Prof. Alan Marshall.

Academics, experts and industry representatives shared their experience and exchanged ideas on the collaboration models between universities and industries, including Jiangsu Province Science and Technology Department (JSTD) Director of Division of International Cooperation Mr. Zhao Yangwei, University of Cambridge Nanjing Chair of Technology and Innovation Prof. Daping Chu, Beauty & Personal Care Science & Technology from Unilever Global Research Director Dr Paul Jenkins, Changzhou Science and Education Town Deputy Director Dr Jiang Pengju, and Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JITRI) Vice President for Overseas Cooperation Dr Paul E. Burrows.

Closing

At the Closing Ceremony, Prof. Alan Marshall announced actions from academic panels and industry forums. Alan and Jiangsu University Vice President Prof. Zhao Yutao, expressed gratitude to partners and colleagues.

UK-Jiangsu World Class University Consortium was founded in 2019, one of the notable outcomes of China-UK high-level people-to-people and cultural exchanges. In the future, the Consortium will further diversify the types of activities, deepen scientific and technological cooperation, focus on talent cultivation, promote people-to-people exchanges and open up new prospects for international cooperation between China and the UK.