On 17 November, Yan Xu, Member of the Standing Committee of the Ningbo Municipal Party Committee and Vice Mayor of Ningbo, met with a delegation led by Professor Jane Norman, Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham. The delegation also included Professor Xincheng Xie, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and President of the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), and Madam Yafen Xu, Chair of the UNNC Board.
Yan Xu noted that Ningbo has long been a pioneer in opening up China’s higher education sector, exemplified by the establishment of the country’s first Sino-foreign university, UNNC. He said that UNNC has successfully integrated high-quality educational resources from China and abroad, becoming a model of Sino-UK collaboration and an important bridge linking China with the United Kingdom, as well as Ningbo with Nottingham. He added that the city will continue to support the University’s development.
Yan Xu also expressed the hope that UNNC will align its strength with the needs of Ningbo’s ‘361’ industrial clusters, enhance its ability to attract and cultivate high-level talent, refine its programmes in emerging industries, and advance major research platforms. He encouraged the University of Nottingham to continue providing strong support and to work with Ningbo to explore new approaches to high-quality Sino-foreign education.
Speaking on behalf of the University of Nottingham, Jane Norman expressed her gratitude for Ningbo’s long-term support of UNNC. She outlined the University of Nottingham’s strength and UNNC’s five-year development strategy. She said she hopes to deepen cooperation with the city and contribute further to Ningbo’s development. She added that she is confident in UNNC’s future and hopes that the city will continue its strong support.
Published on 21 November 2025