University of Cambridge (No. 6 in 2019 QS World Ranking), University of Leeds (No. 93 in 2019 QS World Ranking) and University of Liverpool (No. 164 in 2019 QS World Ranking) formally joined the UK-China University Consortium on Engineering Education and Research recently. Such three universities are deemed not only as top universities in UK but the founding members of the Russell Group, a British elite university consortium. At present, as many as 9 universities have been listed in this consortium with equivalent number of Chinese universities. Under the vigorous support of the two governments, the UK-China University Consortium on Engineering Education and Research has gained high attentions in both countries while exerting continuously improved influences upon rapid development for more than a year. The joining of these three top universities in UK marked the significant progress in the establishment of such alliance and has laid down a solid foundation for the consortium to become bigger and stronger.
The UK-China University Consortium on Engineering Education and Research was established at Nanjing in May 2017. It includes nine Chinese members including Southeast University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Chongqing University, Dalian University of Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, South China University of Technology, Tianjin University and Tongji University, and nine British members including Queen's University of Belfast, University of Birmingham, University of Cambridge, Cardiff University, University of Leeds, University of Liverpool, University College London, University of Nottingham and Warwick University, among which, Queen’s University of Belfast takes the lead.
Since its establishment, the consortium has carried out several academic and student exchanges such as symposium on energy and manufacturing, the “1stFuture Engineer Leadership and Innovation Institute, etc.. In December 2017, at the 5th China-UK Senior Meeting on Cultural and Education Exchange Mechanism, Zhang Guangjun, President of Southeast University, and James McElnay, President of Queen's University of Belfast, signed the Joint Declaration about Establishing UK-China University Consortium on Engineering Education and Research under the witness of Deputy Prime Minister Liu Yandong and Minister Hunter. In September of this year, the Consortium Administration Committee was successfully convened at Chongqing University. Both the Chinese and British universities conducted in-depth and detailed discussion on the construction of the consortium and the work plan for 2019. In November, the first presidential forum of the consortium will be held at Southeast University when both Chinese and British president of member universities will gather at Southeast University to discuss the construction and development of world-class universities. It is reported that the “2ndFuture Engineer Leadership and Innovation Institute will be held at Southeast University at the same time.