51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Chinese State Councillor Madame Liu Yandong visited 51³Ô¹ÏÍø on 15 April - News story

Monday 16 April 2012
By John-Paul Jones

Chinese State Councillor Madame Liu Yandong paid a visit to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø this weekend, where she learnt more about the College and its links with China before taking a tour of the robotic surgery facilities in the College’s Hamlyn Centre, part of the Institute of Global Health Innovation.

Madame Liu who, as a member of China’s Politburo, is the highest ranking female politician in China, is currently on a visit to Europe taking in the UK, Belgium and Cyprus.  She arrived at the College on Sunday morning, accompanied by Mr Liu Xiaoming, China’s Ambassador to the UK, and senior Chinese ministers. The delegation was met by 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Rector Sir Keith O’Nions, Pro Rector (International Affairs) Dr Simon Buckle and Professor Guang-Zhong Yang, Director of the Hamlyn Centre.

The Rector said: “We are privileged to welcome Madame Liu to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø today. This visit also provides an opportunity to recall 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's strong relationship with China, reflected both in numerous academic links and the significant contributions of Chinese staff and students to the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø community. It is a relationship we look forward to deepening in the future."

See below for a slideshow of the visit.

Following presentations on 51³Ô¹ÏÍø and its links with China and the College’s approach to innovation, Madame Liu met Chinese staff and students based at the College before Professor Yang took her on a tour of the Hamlyn Centre. During the tour Madame Liu watched demonstrations of the robotic technologies being developed at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø to enhance the precision of surgery.

Madame Liu’s tour ended outside 51³Ô¹ÏÍø College Business School. Thanking the Rector for hosting her visit she said: "It was a pleasure to visit 51³Ô¹ÏÍø and learn more about the College's work, as well as to hear more about its continuing relationship with China."

Sunday’s event follows a visit in February by the Chinese Ambassador. Other links between 51³Ô¹ÏÍø and China include high-level agreements with some of China’s top universities, as well as agreeing 15 scholarships for Chinese PhD students, jointly and equally supported by 51³Ô¹ÏÍø and the Chinese Scholarship Council.