Congratulations to our friends in Shanghai!

Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Power today congratulated our colleagues at Shanghai Normal University who are celebrating 70 years of achievement and history.

Founded in 1954, SHNU is a comprehensive university with a heritage of teacher training and the liberal arts.

LJMU has been strengthening its partnership with SHNU and earlier this year – as part of the 25^th year of the Liverpool-Shanghai ‘Sister City’ relationship – joined SHNU in hosting each’s students in a series of projects inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Our innovative student exchange agreement with SHNU sees them host LJMU summer schools in Shanghai, while we host Chinese students for one or two semesters.

In a video message sent to China today, Professor Power said: “We are delighted with your strong commitment to an ambitious partnership with LJMU. I am honoured to convey the appreciation, respect and congratulations of all staff at LJMU on this occasion of your 70^th anniversary as a university.”

Mark said he had found SHNU’s leadership to be “visionary in advancing an innovative agenda for collaboration” and praised SHNU for its role in helping LJMU establish the Better Futures University Consortium, a network of modern, civic universities via which LJMU “extends our impact beyond our bilateral partnership to the HE sectors in Malaysia, the US, the UK and China.”

Together LJMU and SHNU also fund 30 to 50 students from each institution to deliver an annual Liverpool-Shanghai cultural week.

Mark added that his leadership is committed to expanding international partnerships “to the next level” enhancing staff and student mobility schemes and joint research activities.

Happy anniversary to all at Shanghai Normal University!