He said, as the first Sino-foreign cooperative university in China with independent legal person status, UNNC's establishment has significantly contributed to the annals of higher education development in the country and has emerged as a prominent hallmark of the city of Ningbo.

Jiaxue Peng expressed the hope that both the university and the local community shall join forces to undertake their shared mission and responsibilities, aligning the university's strengths with the needs of the wider community, nurturing talent for the country, and continuously enhancing the level of education, research capabilities, and teaching quality.

He encouraged the university to achieve the new leapfrog development through devoted efforts, establishing a model of Sino-foreign cooperation in education. With continuous innovation in mechanisms for international exchange and cooperation, along with active engagement in Sino-foreign cultural exchange activities, he hopes UNNC could make a greater contribution to promoting high-level openness to the outside world.

Jiaxue Peng assured that the municipal government will provide robust services and support for the future development of the university.

Professor Xie expressed gratitude to the government for their unwavering support on behalf of UNNC. He emphasised UNNC's commitment to elevating the university's global influence and competitiveness with higher standards and a broader perspective, contributing significantly to the advancement of higher education, scientific and technological innovation, and international exchange and collaboration.