August 2023

On the occasion of the Wuxi Municipal People’s Government delegation’s visit to the UK, the Global China Academy (GCA) engaged with Wuxi and the UCL Global Business School for Health (GBSH) for collaboration. The Wuxi (London) Promotion Conference, co-organizer by China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), was held on the 9th of August 2023 at the Four Seasons Hotel. With support from UCL Global Engagement, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among the three parties was signed successfully.

In the morning, Professor Xiangqun Chang, DU Yichao (Director of the Wuxi Institute of New Culture and PhD candidate at UCL, and Associate Translator at GCA), met the delegates from Wuxi’s Economic Development Zone, led by its Director, Yang Jianping, at UCL East. Professor Adam Dubis and some colleagues from GBSH provided a guided tour there. UCL East is a new campus of University College London (UCL), located in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London. It represents an expansion of UCL’s academic facilities, aiming to foster interdisciplinary research, innovation, and education. The campus is designed to be a space where engineering, arts, social sciences, and other disciplines can collaborate, with a strong focus on community engagement and sustainability. UCL East is part of a larger effort to contribute to the economic, social, and environmental regeneration of East London.

Afterwards, the three parties held a meeting for exchanges. Professor Adam Dubis introduced the GBSH to the guests. He mentioned that he is an entrepreneurially minded person. The GBSH is a specialized school focusing on health-related business education and research. It offers programs and research opportunities in health management, policy, economics, and leadership within the healthcare sector. Its aim is to prepare graduates for leadership roles in global health settings, combining business acumen with an in-depth understanding of the health sector’s unique challenges and opportunities. 

Director Yang Jianping introduced Wuxi’s Economic Development Zone. It is located in Jiangsu Province, China. The dynamic area focused on driving economic growth through technological innovation in sectors like IT, biotechnology, and clean energy. This emphasis not only attracts significant domestic and international investments but also supports the advancement of healthcare and medical industries, making it a pivotal area for health-related research and development. By fostering a robust environment for business and innovation, the district contributes to improving healthcare outcomes and enhancing the quality of life for its residents, positioning Wuxi as a key player in both economic development and health sector advancements.

In the afternoon, the GCA and UCL teams met at the Four Seasons Hotel and enjoyed two exhibitions: ‘Meet Wuxi’ Thematic Exhibition I: Urban Visual Exhibition and ‘Meet Wuxi’ Thematic Exhibition II: Wuxi Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition.

At the Wuxi-London Promotion Conference Professor Martin Albrow delivered speech. He emphasizes the potential for collaboration between Wuxi and London. Albrow highlights Wuxi’s rich history, cultural heritage, and economic development, positioning it as a city of global significance. He aligns Wuxi’s vision with his work on a shared human future and sees the partnership with the Global China Academy and University College London as a platform for enhancing mutual understanding and dialogue. Albrow’s speech reflects optimism for the future opportunities arising from the collaboration between China and the UK.

Dr. Michael Spence AC, President and Provost of UCL, sent a message to the collaborators of three parties (top left in the top row of the photo). He said that ‘I am very pleased to receive this update and read about the engagement on China-UK collaboration. I would like to pass on my best wishes for a highly engaging and successful meeting and I look forward to hearing more about the partnership as it develops. With best wishes.’ Professor Martin Albrow delivered a speech (top right in the top row of the photo; also, see the summary of speech notes above).

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by Adam Dubis, Professor of Digital Health Enterprise, Global Business School for Health, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, UCL (left in the second top photo); Mr. Yang Jianping, Director of the Wuxi Economic Development Zone (middle in the second top photo); and Mrs. Ingrid Cranfield, Chair of the Global China Academy Board of Trustees (right in the second top photo). The MOU involves University College London (UCL), Global China Academy (GCA), and Wuxi Economic Development District, focusing on collaborative activities in global health innovation in China and the UK. It aims to leverage each party’s strengths to foster academic and economic growth through initiatives like talent empowerment, education, joint organization of events like the Global China Dialogue, and support for advantageous industries in Wuxi. The MOU outlines responsibilities, confidentiality, intellectual property rights, and procedures for amendments and termination, emphasizing cooperation and mutual benefit.

The group photo on the left, in the third row, includes Sir Charles Bowman (5th from the left), Senior Partner & Chairman of the China Business Group (CBBC); DU Xiaogang (5th from the right); Professor Martin Albrow (4th from the right); Professor Adam Dubis (3rd from the right); Professor Xiangqun Chang (2nd from the right); and Ingrid Cranfield (1st from the right). The group photo on the right features the GCA and UCL teams and includes, from left to right, Dr Kejun Guo, DU Yichao, Ingrid Cranfield, Professor Martin Albrow, Professor Xiangqun Chang, Professor Adam Dubis, Dr Marzena Nieroda, Dr Ruijia Zhan, Dr Paul Expert, and Dr Yuxi Zhang. The photos in the bottom row, from left to right, show GCA colleagues with UK based Chinese professional and entrepreneurs.

In the thank you letter dated 29th August, Du Xiaogang, Secretary of the Wuxi Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, expresses gratitude to Professor Martin Albrow for his support of Wuxi’s development. It highlights the successful visit of the Wuxi Economic and Trade Delegation to the UK, where Professor Albrow’s participation and speech at the Wuxi-London Promotion Conference set a positive tone for the outcomes of the visit. The letter acknowledges the Global China Academy’s role in fostering Sino-British relations and invites further collaboration and visits to Wuxi to deepen mutual understanding and development.