The delegation from Exeter University with colleagues from Peking University.

Successful trip to China results in a wide range of potential future collaborations

In June a delegation of 12 academics including Professor Nick Kaye, Professor Jane Spencer and Professor Emma Cayley, travelled to China with the aim of deepening international cooperation with Peking University (PKU) and Fudan University in Shanghai. The visit included a Research Colloquium in Fudan, with the theme “Reading across Cultures: Global Configurations of Reception, Adaptation and Transmission”, held in collaboration with the College’s Centre for Translating Cultures.

The visit from 18-26 June built on their previous visit in November 2013 as part of the Vice Chancellor’s delegation to establish formal agreements over cooperation with PKU and Fudan University.

At Peking University the delegation met with Professor Cheng Zhaoxiang, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages, and Directors of departments as well as individual academics to explore potential research connections, resulting in some extremely productive exchanges.

At Fudan University, delegates engaged in constructive discussions with researchers from Fudan’s College of Foreign Languages and Literature, and the National Institute for Humanistic Studies.

Professor Nick Kaye commented, “This was a hugely successful visit in which colleagues were able to explore many areas for future collaboration in research, postgraduate supervision, and teaching. The trip was a key step in establishing our long-term partnerships with these leading Chinese universities.”

The visits to both institutions resulted in valuable conversations and the potential for future collaborations, including short-term teaching opportunities and attendance at forthcoming conferences. Another outcome was an invitation for doctoral students to visit Exeter for a period of up to six months to further develop opportunities for collaborative research between individuals, research centres and disciplines. It is hoped these experiences would offer students an extremely valuable and enjoyable experience.

In addition, it is hoped that members of the delegation for Exeter will be able to take up the kind invitations received to return to PKU and Fudan in the next academic year.

Date: 28 August 2014

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