From November 18 to November 22, President Feng Xiating led a delegation to visit the University of Technology Sydney, the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney, Monash University, and the AEMG Education in Australia. The purpose of the visit was to comprehensively promote inter-university exchanges and cooperation with Australian institutions. Meetings were also held with overseas students and alumni of NEU in the region. The visit was accompanied by Zhao Yong, Assistant to the President and President of NEU at Qinhuangdao, as well as relevant officials from NEU's Graduate School, Academic Affairs Office, and International Cooperation and Exchange Office.
On the afternoon of November 19, Feng Xiating and his delegation paid an official visit to the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Feng Xiating held talks with UTS President Andrew Parfitt, expressing his heartfelt gratitude to UTS for its efforts and support in the construction and development of the Sydney Smart Technology College NEU. He stated that UTS is an important international partner of NEU, and the jointly established Sydney Smart Technology College has achieved remarkable accomplishments. He expressed confidence in passing the Ministry of Education’s institutional evaluation and he hoped to work closely with UTS to continue running the Sydney Smart Technology College at an even higher quality level by leveraging this opportunity. When discussing future cooperation between the two universities, both sides expressed their willingness to further expand areas of cooperation, building upon the existing collaborative educational programs. They discussed exploring the establishment of an overseas research institute for NEU and advancing joint scientific research and graduate student training cooperation in fields such as information science, artificial intelligence, and marine science. Li Xinqing, CEO of AEMG Education, also participated in the talks and expressed the desire to continue playing a positive role in promoting future cooperation between the two universities.
Feng Xiating and his team also visited the Protospace and the Robotics Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, gaining a deeper understanding of the university's related research activities and management operations. The head of the Protospace introduced the functions of the lab in supporting teaching, research exploration, and innovation, as well as how it assists students in better applying advanced technologies in their research projects. The head of the Robotics Institute showcased various types of robots developed by the institute and presented application cases of robots in fields such as infrastructure, agriculture, and healthcare.
Feng Xiating held a discussion with students from Sydney Smart Technology College NEU. The participating students were from the college's undergraduate 2+2 and combined bachelor's and master's 3+2 programs. Feng Xiating attentively listened to student representatives' reports regarding their study, life, and research experiences while studying in Australia. He congratulated the students on their achievements and encouraged them to focus on enhancing their autonomous learning and self-management abilities, better adapting to cross-cultural learning environments, and improving interdisciplinary learning and research skills. He expressed hope that they would achieve academic success and effectively apply their knowledge, contributing positively to the nation’s scientific and technological innovation.
On the afternoon of November 19, Feng Xiating and his delegation visited the University of New South Wales (UNSW). They held discussions with the university representatives responsible for industry engagement, innovation, research, and education. Feng Xiating remarked that UNSW is globally renowned for its excellent teaching quality and research capabilities. He noted the solid foundation for cooperation between NEU and UNSW in multiple fields and hoped for further substantive collaboration in areas such as research cooperation, academic exchange, and student exchange programs.
Feng Xiating and his delegation also visited the relevant laboratories of the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering and the School of Chemical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, UNSW, and interacted with researchers and students. Professor Hao Xiaojing, a distinguished alumnus of NEU and a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, gave a detailed introduction to the cutting-edge scientific achievements of her CZTS solar cell research team in areas such as new thin-film solar cells, tandem solar cells, and photoelectric conversion efficiency. Professor Shen Yansong, another alumnus of NEU, provided an in-depth briefing to the delegation on his team’s research activities in the field of chemical engineering, particularly the application of metallurgical technologies to address waste processing challenges.
On the morning of November 20, Xiating Feng and his delegation visited the University of Sydney, focusing on the Powder and Granular Technology Laboratory of the School of Civil Engineering and the Wind, Wave, and Water Research Center within the Faculty of Engineering. They gained a comprehensive understanding of the university's research advancements in these fields, as well as the management and operation of the relevant laboratories. The two sides engaged in discussions on enhancing future collaboration in scientific research and joint talent cultivation.
On November 21, Feng Xiating and his delegation paid an official visit to Monash University. Craig Jeffrey, Executive Vice-President and Senior Vice-President for International Affairs of Monash University, Yang Shuang, Vice-President for International Engagement, as well as heads of the faculties of Engineering, Information Technology, and other departments, along with experts and scholars from relevant fields, participated in the meeting. Both sides introduced their respective universities' general situations, distinctive educational practices, subject strengths, and internationalization efforts. They emphasized that there are numerous overlapping areas in academic disciplines between the two institutions, highlighting significant potential for collaboration in talent cultivation and scientific research. The two sides expressed their willingness to engage in more substantive cooperation in the future, promote 2+2 and 3+2 joint training programs, and enhance international research collaborations.
Feng Xiating and his delegation also visited the Additive Manufacturing Center, Innovation Lab, Smart Teaching Facilities, and Civil Engineering Laboratory at Monash University for discussions and exchanges. They held talks with the head of the Faculty of Information Technology, focusing on specific cooperation in the information field, especially joint postgraduate training.
On November 19, Feng Xiating and his delegation held a discussion with some NEU alumni based in Sydney. Feng Xiating introduced NEU's recent achievements in construction and development, expressing hope that the alumni would continue to support their alma mater’s progress. He welcomed their contributions, in various forms, to the university's development, encouraging them to offer advice, ideas, and efforts to actively contribute to the construction of a world-class university.
On the afternoon of November 21, Feng Xiating and his delegation visited AEMG Education at its invitation and held talks with Wang Jing, the AEMG's Executive Director and others. The two sides reviewed their history of cooperation in the field of China-foreign cooperative education and focused on discussing the feasibility of establishing an overseas research institute in Australia. With this as a platform, they aimed to promote cooperation in scientific research, faculty training, and joint cultivation of high-level talent in Australia. AEMG Education will provide a number of faculty training course resources to NEU free of charge to support the construction of the university's international faculty team.
