The University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) marked a historic moment with the grand opening of its much-anticipated UNNC Museum on 12 April, presided over by James Birkett, Registrar of UNNC.

Near 100 guests, including leaders from the Provincial Department of Education, relevant government departments of Ningbo City, and Yinzhou District, representatives from the British Consulate-General in Shanghai, the British Council, and the British Chamber of Commerce in China, academicians of the two academies, leaders and experts from domestic and international universities and research institutions, representatives of donors, and outstanding alumni representatives, attended the opening ceremony.

Professor Weiqi Shen, Party Secretary of UNNC, delivered an opening speech for the UNNC Museum. Subsequently, Liang Huang, member of the Zhejiang Provincial Education Department's Party Leadership Group and Secretary of the Party Committee of the Provincial Education Examination Institute, Mr Matthew Burney CMG, His Majesty’s British Consul-General in Shanghai, Professor Xincheng Xie, President of UNNC, Professor Shearer West, the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham, Xiong Ying, Chairman and Party Secretary of Wanli Education Group, and Professor Jon Garibaldi, Provost of UNNC, came together to place their hands on a large screen, signalling the commencement of a countdown that culminated in the official inauguration of the UNNC Museum.

The UNNC Museum is located in the east wing of the Trent Building. It serves as a one-stop destination to explore the university's institutional memory. Through exhibits and collections, the museum showcases UNNC's journey from its inception to the present day.

Professor Shen, one of the founding members and now Party Secretary of UNNC, reflected on memories as he looked at old photos displayed in the museum, highlighting one from 2006. It depicts President Xi Jinping, the then Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, participating in the founding ceremony of UNNC. Being China’s first Sino-foreign university, the birth of UNNC was praised by President Xi Jinping as “a seed of hope”.