XAUAT News Network - On the afternoon of September 12, a delegation from the University of Canterbury (UC), New Zealand, led by Vice-Chancellor Professor David Craig, visited Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology (XAUAT). XAUAT Vice President Chen Rong met with the delegation in the conference room of the Administration Building. The two sides held discussions on key areas of cooperation, including the development and operation of XAUAT-UC International Science and Engineering Institute, as well as talent development, faculty and curriculum provision, and joint research. Wang Chunmei, Director of the Office of International Affairs; Xiong Zhongming, Executive Dean of An De College; and other relevant representatives attended the meeting. The meeting was chaired by Wang Chunmei.
On behalf of XAUAT, Vice President Chen Rong welcomed the UC delegation on the occasion of the University's anniversary celebrations. He noted that the University of Canterbury is a prestigious research university with a long history in New Zealand, with its engineering disciplines consistently ranked among the top 100 worldwide by QS. In May this year, the XAUAT–UC International Science and Engineering Institute, jointly established by the two universities, was officially approved by China's Ministry of Education. Following An De College, it has become XAUAT’s second non-independent legal entity Sino-foreign cooperative education institution, offering programs at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. The undergraduate programs in Environmental Science and Computer Science and Technology have already enrolled their first cohorts.
Vice President Chen expressed the hope that the meeting would serve as an opportunity for the two universities to facilitate the substantive implementation of UC's high-quality educational resources, integrate the academic strengths of both sides, and jointly develop the institute into a model of China-New Zealand cooperation in higher education.
Professor David Craig thanked XAUAT for its warm hospitality. He said that the University of Canterbury highly values its strategic partnership with XAUAT and was delighted by the official approval of the XAUAT–UC International Science and Engineering Institute and the arrival of its first cohort of undergraduate students. UC will leverage its strengths in engineering, environmental science and computer science and mobilize high-quality faculty, curricula and research resources to ensure the quality of the cooperative programs. He expressed his expectation that the two universities would continue to work closely together to implement education and training programs at all levels, expand two-way exchanges among faculty and students, and develop joint research projects, working together to ensure the institute's steady and sustainable development.
The meeting further strengthened mutual trust and cooperation between the two universities and helped refine measures for the implementation and operation of the XAUAT–UC International Science and Engineering Institute, laying a solid foundation for the institute to make a high-standard start and achieve high-quality development.
