By MARK LING, Department of International Exchange and Cooperation
On 6th Jan., 2021, an online conference was held between Wuhan Institute of Technology(WIT), Wuhan, China and Manchester Metropolitan University(MMU),Manchester, UK for the MoU signing to build a Joint Research Center in thefields of Materials Science and RKE by both parties.
In the second conference hall of WIT, Prof. Wang Cun-wen, President, and Prof.Zhang Yan-duo, Vice-President, together with Mr. MA Xiao-long, Director of theUniversity Administration Office, Mr. LIU Zhi-tian, Director of Research and Development Office, Mr. JIANG Xue-liang, Dean of School of Materials Scienceand Engineering, Mr. PENG Shi-yu, Director of Department of International Exchange and Cooperation (DIEC) and Mr. HE Dong-sheng, Deputy Director of DIECattended the internet-based conference linking to Prof. Andy Gibson, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, and other directors and leaders from the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Engineering, Graduate School, Department of Research Development and Delivery, Research& Knowledge Exchange, and International Department. The meeting was the first international conference since the year of 2021 for WIT, and the reunionwith MMU staff across the continents, and all the attendees were quite excitedto meet each other in such a special while more efficient and safer way to havea discussion on international communication.
After his welcome speech to MMU part and introduction to WIT and the School of Materials of Science and Engineering,with expectation to the Joint ResearchCenter, Prof. Wang, WIT’s President, invited Prof. Andy Gibson and otherfriends of MMU to visit WIT again as noble guests, later when available.
Mr. Keith Miller, Faculty Head of International of MMU, shared an overview ofpartnership between both parties, and Prof. Tomasz Liskiewicz, Head of Engineering illustrated the RKE developments and believed the Center would benefit both MMU and WIT, with high-level scientific resources in materialsscience, as a research-intensive university.
Prof. Wang and Prof. Andy Gibson, with all the attendees from China and UK witting,signed the MoU, which demonstrated the official launching for the WIT-MMU Joint RKE Research Center.
Prof. Zhang Yan-duo, WIT Vice-President, expressed his greetings and congratulations to MMU leaders, and his intention to invite more talented researchers and putadequate resources into the center from WIT side. He was also looking forward to MMU delegation’s visiting to WIT again after the coronavirus epidemic. Prof. Andy Gibson, VPC, thanked for the well-arranged conference by the international department staff from both universities, and would lead the MMU team to revisit WIT when suitable, and welcome friends from WIT to MMU again.
(Editor Trevor PENG)
学校与英国曼城大学签约共建联合研究中心
（稿件来源：国际交流与合作处）
（通讯员 凌晨）2021年1月6日下午在学校第二会议室举办武汉工程大学与英国曼彻斯特城市大学共建国际联合研究中心在线签约仪式。校长王存文、副校长张彦铎、党政办公室主任马小龙、科技发展院院长刘治田、材料科学与工程学院院长江学良、国际交流与合作处处长彭石玉及副处长何东升出席仪式，与远在英国曼彻斯特市的曼城大学各位校领导跨洋连线，通过视频会议平台磋商我校材料科学与工程学院和英方科学与工程学院联合建设国际高水平科研机构相关事宜，签约仪式由副校长张彦铎主持。
曼城大学常务副校长Andy Gibson教授及该校科学与工程学院、科研学术部门、国际交流部门参会人员逐一向我校与会人员问好，双方都很高兴能在新年伊始通过网络再相会，进一步为两校科研国际化推进开展深入交流。
校长王存文向英方致辞，在向大洋彼岸的老朋友送去新年祝福的同时，简要介绍了学校在科研领域发展动态，并重点推介材料科学与工程学院最新教研成果，描绘了两校签订《共建材料科学领域联合研究中心协议》会大力推进双方科研创新的美好蓝图，希望以此中心良性运行作为科研合作的典型示范，最终将彼此的科研合作拓展至人工智能、化学、环境、电子信息等学科领域，开拓双方合作的新局面。最后，王校长表示工大全体师生时刻牵挂着曼城大学师生的健康，希望疫情阴霾早日散去，热情邀请Andy Gibson副校长、Jenny Watling副校长和英方各位朋友在条件允许时再来武汉工程大学作客、交流。
曼城大学国际工程学部Keith Miller教授对于王校长的暖心致辞表示感谢，回顾自己数次来访武汉工程大学，不论是做学术报告还是洽谈两校国际合作，我校浓厚的学术氛围都给他留下了良好的印象，曼城大学14%的科研成果来自于国际合作，希望能继续与我校进一步开展科研协作。工程学院院长Tomasz Liskiewicz教授评价武汉工程大学为科研密集型大学，材料学科科研教学水平较高，很高兴曼城大学能与武汉工程大学共建材料科学领域的国际联合研究中心，双方将在新型工程材料等领域尽快开展合作，共同促进两校材料科学领域成果转化。
随后王存文校长和Andy Gibson校长在双方与会代表见证下，共同签署两校2021年最新科研合作协议，标志着联合科研中心共建工作正式启动。
礼毕，副校长张彦铎向曼城大学领导表达了深切问候，回顾2019年曼城大学校领导代表团、教授学术团数次来校访问和洽谈，武汉工程大学校领导代表团受邀出席该校中国办公室启动仪式，以及2020年1月初两校领导面谈交流的温馨过往，希望疫情早日消散，两校国际交往能逐步恢复正常化，我校也会向联合研究中心注入大量的智力和资金资源，欢迎英方领导适时来我校回访指导科研合作。Andy Gibson校长对于张校长的邀请表示感谢，同时也谢谢两校外事工作人员为本次网络签约仪式所做的精心准备，希望在不久的将来，曼城大学代表团能再到武汉工程大学交流，也邀请我校领导再赴英访问。
本次签约仪式是学校2021年首次外事洽谈会议，顺利完成了今年首次重大国际合作协议签署，在全球疫情防控常态化的背景下，学校领导集体和外事部门将灵活采用网络会议等多种方式为学校师生引进优质教育科研资源，进一步推进全校教育国际化向着纵深方向发展。
（审稿 彭石玉）
