A commemorative photo of the two universities. [Photo/en.xmu.edu.cn]

Mark Ellul, joint acting vice-chancellor and chief operating officer of University for the Creative Arts (UCA), visited Xiamen University (XMU) from Sept 14 to 15 as part of a delegation.

Zhang Rong, chairman of university council and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, commended the achievements of the Institute of Creativity and Innovation (ICI), a collaborative initiative between XMU and UCA, in the development of talent and academic discipline.

XMU remains committed to an open and inclusive approach to education and will continue to deepen cooperation with UCA through faculty and student exchanges, academic collaboration, and cultural engagement.

Shi Dalin, vice-president of XMU, noted that ICI's innovative approach to international education and pedagogical models provides a successful paradigm for deeper collaboration with other world-class universities.

Ellul underscored UCA's strong commitment to the partnership, emphasizing the importance of leveraging alumni networks in China and enhancing industry-education collaboration pathways at ICI. He also reaffirmed UCA's dedication to strategic cooperation with XMU.

During the visit, Ellul toured ICI's key facilities, including an audiovisual workshop, innovation labs, and student exhibition spaces. He also engaged in discussions with ICI faculty and students.

Founded in 1866, UCA is one of the UK's leading public art institutions and the second-largest creative arts university in Europe. In 2019, XMU and UCA jointly established the ICI, XMU's first Sino-foreign cooperative educational institution.