On 19 March, Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester (UoM), was invited to visit Shanghai Pudong Concord Bilingual School (SCBS), accompanied by representatives from the University’s International Development Office, Alumni Office, and China Centre.

Prof Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of UoM (left) and Dr Paul Silverwood, Executive Principal of SCBS（right）

The delegation was warmly received by Manchester alumni: Mr Ping Fan, Chairman of the Board at Concord Bilingual School, and Dr Paul Silverwood, the school's Executive Principal. During the visit, leaders from both institutions engaged in extensive discussions on the development of global talent and the successful integration of British and Chinese educational philosophies.

A highlight of the itinerary was a keynote speech delivered by Professor Ivison to the school’s staff and pupils, calling for greater critical thinking in an age of information abundance. He said that while access to content has never been easier, the real challenge today is not finding information, but knowing how to question, interpret and apply it effectively.

As the birthplace of artificial intelligence and home to one of the world’s leading library collections, the University of Manchester represents a dynamic balance between frontier technology and humanistic depth. This, he said, creates wide-ranging opportunities for interdisciplinary study.

Drawing on his own experience, Professor Ivison encouraged students to keep an open mind, leave room for new possibilities, broaden their horizons, and develop the ability to combine and apply knowledge to meet future global challenges.

The visit not only highlighted the crucial role that alumni networks play in international educational partnerships but also marked a significant deepening of ties between the university and a globally minded Chinese school.