The University of Aberdeen has set a milestone in collaboration, after signing an agreement to work more closely with the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
The two universities are set to jointly promote academic and research collaboration and student exchange, after Professor C Duncan Rice, Principal of the University of Aberdeen, and Professor Lawrence J. Lau, Vice-Chancellor of CUHK, signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the CHUK earlier today.
Under the agreement, the two institutions will promote collaboration in research activities, exchange of faculty and students, jointly organise academic conferences and symposia, with the ultimate aims to promote the exchange of cultures and advancement of knowledge.
Students from both CUHK and the University of Aberdeen will benefit from this new exchange programme, which will provide them with more opportunities to explore different cultures, experience other learning environments, enhance foreign language skills and develop network.
The University of Aberdeen’s research excellence has allowed it to secure its position as a leading research-led institution and influence global issues, attracting some of the world’s most distinguished scholars and reinforcing its own academic strengths. An increasing number of Chinese students are attracted to the University of Aberdeen. Currently they make up nearly a quarter of the University of Aberdeen’s international student population.
The alliance is part of a wider programme marking the University of Aberdeen’s long-standing links with Asia that involves a series of events. Historically, the University of Aberdeen graduates have played a significant role in the region with graduates actively involved in business and commerce across the Asia Pacific region.
Established in 1963, CUHK is a research comprehensive University that has dedicated to academic and research excellence for over 40 years. With an enrolment of close to 18,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, CUHK has been at the forefront of student exchange in Hong Kong. It started its very first student exchange programme with UC Berkeley in 1964, the next year after its inception. Now CUHK offers the largest number of student exchange programmes among all local tertiary institutions. In 2005-06, some 450 local students will study at one of CUHK’s150 partner universities in 23 countries. The number of students benefiting from exchanges has increased by three times over the past five years. In addition to this, another 1,500 short-term work and study abroad opportunities will be provided to students.