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On Monday 23 September, the Global Engagement team welcomed a delegation of visitors from our key strategic partner Zhejiang Gongshang University (ZJSU), which included their President, Professor Wang Yonggui. The visit from ZJSU marked a significant milestone in the partnerships between our two universities, as it was the first time their President, Professor Wang Yonggui had visited Sussex. It was a real pleasure for the team to welcome Professor Wang to our campus and underlines just how important the leader of ZJSU considers the partnership to be. 

Since 2020, 1,293 students have graduated from the Sussex Artificial Intelligence Institute at ZJSU. Students at the joint institute are offered a unique blend of ZJSU and Sussex experiences, leading to outstanding academic outcomes. This year, 84% of our first undergraduate cohort of 171 students achieved a 2:1 or above, and 96% of the 106 postgraduates earned a merit or distinction. 

The student experience is at the heart of everything the joint institute does. Our collaborative model has really expanded access and improved education quality, breaking down geographical borders. Recent examples include more than 100 Sussex students completing an online Chinese language and culture course run by ZJSU, and 9 students travelling to China to participate in ZJSU’s intercultural program through the Turing Scheme. Additionally, 12 talented JI undergraduates carried out an 8-week supervised research project at Sussex as part of our International Junior Research Associate scheme and 40  ZJSU students took part in Sussex’s summer school programs. We’re also proud that 4 ZJSU teachers have completed Sussex’s PG Cert training, meaning that they now have a recognised professional teaching qualification and FHEA accreditation in line with members of Sussex teaching staff. 

This partnership has met 4 UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 4 by making continuous improvement in the quality of education and SDG 10 by reducing inequalities amongst the student cohort. The halo projects detailed above show how the joint institute is continuously creating a positive impact, enabling a sustainable and equitable partnership. 

One of the main aims of the visit was for our Chinese colleagues to build relationships and foster collaboration with their Sussex counterparts. During the visit, colleagues from departments across Sussex and ZJSU agreed to work towards creating a broader and deeper strategic partnership, with many future opportunities for closer collaboration being identified which will benefit both staff and students at each institution.  Professor Wang and his team warmly invited Professor Robin Banerjee and other Sussex colleagues to visit ZJSU again and we look forward to accepting their invitation.