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Chinese ambassador visits UCL
6 February 2008
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Professor Malcolm Grant, President and Provost of UCL, welcomed to UCL Her Excellency Madam Fu Ying, the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China on 5 February 2008. It was Madam Fu Ying's first visit to UCL since being appointed ambassador in London.
Following UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown's recent visit to China - accompanied by Professor Grant, among others - the ambassador was particularly keen to learn more about UCL's cutting-edge research related to the pressing issues concerning global climate change.
She heard from some of UCL's leading climate-change experts about the university's pioneering achievements: secure carbon capture, by Professor Stefaan Simons (UCL Chemical Engineering); clean energy, by Professor Zheng Xiao Guo (UCL Chemistry); the monitoring of international climate-change agreements, by Professor Mark Maslin (UCL Environment Institute); UCL's role in UK academic networks supporting the Dong Tan Eco-city project by Professor Nick Tyler (UCL Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering); and the evolution of eco-friendly strategies in social and economic planning for new cities, by Professor Alan Penn (UCL Bartlett School).
The ambassador also met with Professor Michael Worton, UCL Vice-Provost (Academic & International), to discuss UCL's current research relationships with China and discover what more might be done to further strengthen academic and research links between UCL and Chinese universities.
The meeting was organised as a roundtable discussion, over dinner, with Professor Moira Yip, UCL Pro Provost for China, Hong Kong & Macau, Professor Ed Byrne, Executive Dean of the UCL Biomedical Sciences, Professor Robert Brown (UCL Tissue Repair & Engineering Centre), Professor Guo, Professor Ray Harris, Executive Dean of UCL Social & Historical Sciences, Professor Simons, Professor Maslin, Professor Peter Mobbs, Executive Dean of UCL Life Sciences, and Professor Tyler.
Between these meetings, the ambassador became the first visitor to UCL Library Services' new exhibition, 'Charting China', in the Main Library.
The ambassador's visit not only highlighted evidence of UCL's historic engagement with China - dating back to the early 19th century, when UCL became the first British university to appoint a Professor of Chinese Language - but was also proof of a strong, ongoing relationship.
To find out more, use the links at the top of this article.
Images: Madam Fu Ying and Professor Malcolm Grant; Madam Fu Ying at 'Charting China'
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