On Nov 1, Professor ZHANG Xi, President of Jilin University (JLU) and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, met with a delegation from The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia.

The group included Brett Lovegrove, Pro Vice Chancellor for Global Partnerships, Alan Rowan, Acting Pro Vice Chancellor (Research Infrastructure) and Executive Institute Director of the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), and Andrew Whittaker, AIBN Senior Group Leader.

Lovegrove highlighted UQ’s disciplinary strengths and global rankings and emphasized the depth of the long-standing partnership with JLU.

Since establishing ties in 2010, the two universities have engaged in extensive research collaboration and joint student training in science, engineering, earth sciences, and the humanities. They have also co-hosted academic symposia, exchange weeks, and young scholar forums.

The visit reaffirmed this strong relationship, with JLU Vice President MA Yanming and Professor Rowan renewing the cooperation agreement of the JLU–UQ Joint Research Center for Future Materials. The sixth bilateral symposium, jointly organized by both institutions, is set to convene soon, aiming to explore new areas of scientific cooperation and deepen complementary strengths. 

The delegation also toured JLU’s cutting-edge research infrastructure, including the Future Science Zone and three State Key Laboratories focused on superhard materials, inorganic synthesis & preparative chemistry, and supramolecular structures and materials – further bolstering collaboration between the two universities.