Professor Duncan Ivison, the new President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester (UoM), led a delegation to visit the UoM China Centre in Shanghai on 26 February 2025, marking his first visit to an overseas centre since taking office in August last year. The visit underscores the President's emphasis on Sino-British educational collaboration and his anticipation for the future development of the China Centre.

Group Photo

During the tour, Sherry Fu, the founding director of the China Centre, introduced President Ivison and his delegation to the centre's low-carbon office practices. Through innovative measures such as carbon emission monitoring, energy-efficient lighting retrofits, and eco-friendly indoor plant arrangements, the China Centre has established a low-energy consumption demonstration space. These initiatives are highly aligned with the University's commitment to sustainable development, earning President Ivison's praise.

Professor Ivison (left) embraces low-carbon travel by riding a bicycle at the China Centre.

Fu also briefed President Ivison on the 17-year development journey of the China Centre. Since its establishment in 2008, the centre has been dedicated to introducing the University of Manchester's high-quality educational resources to China. To date, nearly 3,000 professionals have benefited from Manchester Global Part-time MBA and other part-time master's courses. President Ivison commended the China Centre team for their professional support to students and expressed his hope that the University's "technology-empowered education" could help more global students overcome geographical and time constraints to access quality learning experiences.

Sherry Fu (center) introduced the multimedia teaching facilities to Duncan Ivison (right) and Richard Cotton (left)

At the end of the visit, Fu presented President Ivison with a portrait as a memento of his trip to China. The artwork, conceived by Fu and created by The University of Manchester alumnus Weifeng Lv through pen sketching, ingeniously integrates iconic architectural elements from both China and the UK, as well as from the University of Manchester and the city of Manchester, synthesizing the University's acronym "UoM". This piece not only conveys sincere wishes for the "Manchester 2035" strategic plan but also symbolises the close ties and profound friendship between China and the UK, and between Shanghai and Manchester.

The University of Manchester alumnus Weifeng Lv（left）

President Ivison expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Sherry Fu and all colleagues at the China Centre. He emphasized that the University of Manchester China Centre, as a crucial hub for the University in China, has not only built a solid communication bridge between China and the University, providing alumni with a platform for networking and lifelong learning, but has also become a model for Sino-British educational and cultural exchange and cooperation. As the University is advancing its strategic plan for the next decade, furthering international collaboration is one of the key strategies. President Ivison hopes that the China Centre will continue to leverage its unique advantages to facilitate deeper cooperation between the University and its Chinese partners, making greater contributions to promoting friendly Sino-British relations and educational exchanges.