Wednesday, 28 October 2020
2020 marks the 15th anniversary of the formalisation of the Nottingham-Ningbo city friendship and a launch ceremony has been held at University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) to kick off a series of events to celebrate this milestone.
Entitled A Tale of Two Cities, the programme of activities will incorporate online dialogues, public lectures and exhibitions devoted to culture and history of Ningbo and Nottingham. The events will run until the end of the year.
The launch event saw the participation of representatives from municipal offices, Ningbo Museum and UNNC.
Professor Gary Rawnsley makes a welcome speech
Professor Gary Rawnsley, Dean of UNNC Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, hosted the event. He told participants: “The first 15 years have been exciting, productive, inspiring, and I am happy to celebrate this important milestone. But it is only the end of the beginning. Now we must move our friendship to the next level, and my colleagues and I look forward to working with you all over the coming months and years to develop a legacy of which we all – from Ningbo and Nottingham – can be proud.”
Representatives from UNNC (left) and Ningbo Museum (right) unveil the plaque for Academic Cooperation Base
Shuanglin Jiao, Deputy Director General of Ningbo Foreign Affairs Office expressed his confidence that the two cities would weather the difficult times caused by COVID-19 pandemic and further strengthen ties. He said: “We all face the tough task to defeat the virus, stabilise the economy and protect people’s livelihoods. I do believe these cultural events will strengthen our resolve to tide over this crisis in solidarity. I look forward to meeting our friends from Nottingham, UK, face to face in the near future to deepen our friendly exchange and cooperation.”
Also at the event, a plaque was unveiled to launch an academic cooperation base between UNNC and Ningbo Museum.
Ningbo’s relationship with Nottingham began to flourish in 2004 when UNNC became the first-ever Sino-foreign university to open its gates in China. The following year, UNNC's present campus opened in the Ningbo district of Yinzhou and the two cities established official sister-city status.
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
More news…