• Chinese partnerships expand global reach of Scottish university
    Professor Iain Gillespie , Principal & Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dundee and Xiao Zhiwei, Vice President of Xiangtan University
  • Professor Iain Gillespie, Principal & Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dundee, Xia Zhilun, Director-General of HPDE

Research News

Chinese partnerships expand global reach of Scottish university

Nov 13 2023

The University of Dundee has agreed new Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Hunan Province Department of Education (HPDE) and Xiangtan University, with the aim of expanding educational exchanges and deepening mutual understanding between Scottish and Chinese students and researchers.

The MoUs signed by Professor Iain Gillespie, Principal & Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dundee, Xia Zhilun, Director-General of HPDE and Xiao Zhiwei, Vice President of Xiangtan University and commit the partners to exploring the potential for collaborative academic activities between universities in Scotland and in Hunan Province, China.

Professor Gillespie said, “I am delighted to welcome to Scotland colleagues from the Hunan Province Department of Education and Xiangtan University.  

“As a Scottish University with a global outlook we aim to provide our students and academic staff with valuable opportunities for cross-cultural learning and collaboration. These partnerships are a step towards enhancing friendships and deepening mutual understanding, and we anticipate meaningful progress in our collective pursuit of knowledge. We look forward to the academic and cultural connections that will develop from these collaborations.”

In his capacity as Convenor of Universities Scotland, Professor Gillespie has also signed an MoU with the Hunan Province Department of Education on behalf of Universities Scotland, which represents Scotland’s 19 Higher Education institutions. This aims to strengthen relationships and understanding between all Scottish universities and the HPDE.

The MoU is for an initial period of five years and aligns with the sector’s internationalisation ambitions and global outlook.

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