On May 8th, 2019, Nicholas Horsewood, Director of the International Admissions Department of Economics School at the University of Birmingham, together with Tong Jiadong, Professor at the School of Economics at Nankai University and Distinguished Visiting Professor at School of Northeast Asia Studies, arrived at Shandong University to negotiate over setting up a program cooperatively-run by the Economics Department (UoB) and School of Northeast Asia Studies (SDU). The conference was hosted by Vice Dean Zhang Jingquan, and attended by Distinguished Professor (first-tier) Zhang Yunling, Deputy Director Meng Fanbo of the International Office, Director Chen Chao of the International Program, and researcher Cui Mingxu.

    Vice Dean Zhang gave a welcome speech and introduced the attendees. Participants watched a promotional video of Shandong University together to get a better understanding of the general and unique characteristics of Shandong University at Weihai. Then Vice Dean Zhang briefed Professor Horsewood on the teaching and research programs, the faculties structure, and plans for future departmental and disciplinary construction of the School of Northeast Asia Studies.

    Professor Zhang Yunling specially emphasized the strong and unique points of the Department of Economics at School of Northeast Asia Studies, and further proposed the future space for the two universities to cooperate in other programs as well as the potential for collaborative research.

    Prof. Horsewood and Prof. Tong introduced the general background of University of Birmingham and the requirements for enrollment to the Business School. Both sides reached preliminary agreement on the willingness to cooperate and the procedural feasibility.

    Director Chen introduced to Professor Horsewood the precedent cooperations between SDU (Weihai) and British Universities, and expounded on the future cooperation model between the Business School of the UoB and the School of Northeast Asia Studies at SDU, and answered questions raised by the Prof. Horsewood regarding qualification, tuition fees and credit recognition.

    Finally, Professor Horsewood expressed his willingness to sign an MoU, saying that after the two parties reach an agreement on the key details, he would submit an application to the UoB International Cooperation Project Review Committee within the first half of the year.

    University of Birmingham: founded in 1825, one of the world’s top 100 prestigious universities, located in Birmingham—the second largest city in the UK; received royal charter from Queen Victoria in 1900; The first member of six “Red Brick Universities” and one of the 12 elite universities in Britain; a core member of the British Ivy League “Russell University Group” and the M5 University Alliance; a founding member of the international university organization “Universitas 21”, and a member of the UK-China University Consortium on Engineering Education and Research. UoB is listed as one of the 12 elite universities in the UK by British Council for Higher Education Funding, ranked 79th in the world (highest on the record: 62th) by the 2018/2019 QS World University Rankings, and 3rd in UK by the 2017 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) assessment organized officially by the British authority.