To strengthen network relations and gain knowledge about other foreign universities’ activities in China, SDC is visiting several campus sites in and around Shanghai this spring. The tour is inspired partly by a growing interest for knowledge sharing, partly by an ongoing research project focusing on how SDC-like institutions around China collaborate with the surrounding society and industry.

Sharing experiences with other international campuses in China

"Last year we had a visitor from Liverpool University who was involved in their China programme. We had a very fruitful discussion and one the outcomes were the idea to visit their campus which is located in one of Suzhou's industrial zones," says SDC Executive Director, Hans Gregersen. "We then added a few other institutions to the list and I am looking forward to sharing experiences about for example student and faculty mobility to and from China. But also how other international organizations position themselves to increase collaboration with external partners in China."

SDC's Industrial PhD Student, Martin Bech, will participate in the trip and use the meetings to make arrangements for future field work stays. His study is looking at how joint university operations in China collaborate with external partners e.g. from industry.

Stops on the tour includes the Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, the Nottingham University, Ningbo, the Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Institute at SIBS in Shanghai among others.

In early February, SDC is also visiting the University of Groningen and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Both institutions have for several years been involved in a joint PhD programme with the Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Also during this visit, the sharing of experiences will be the main focus.