University News Last updated 06 July 2009
A collaborative relationship with the Chinese capital's municipal commission for science and technology, is the potential result of a senior Beijing delegation's visit to Birmingham City University, led by Commissioner Zhang Hong.
The University's long-standing links with Nanjing's University of Science and Technology, and relationships with universities in Changzhou and Chongqing, attracted Mr Zhang's attention. These collaborations prompted him, as head of Beijing's Municipal Science and Technology Commission (BMSTC), to visit the University's Faculty of Technology, Innovation and Development (TID) at Millennium Point, with his team. Contact was made through Birmingham City University International Manager, Sky Zheng, who, together with TID Executive Dean Prof Mel Lees, and Associate Dean Prof Peter Rayson hosted the visit .
A constituent of Beijing's Municipal Government Beijing, BMSTC is responsible for formulating local scientific and technological development programmes. Its policies take account of the ‘globalisation of sci-tech activities', and BMSTC ‘opens its arms' to institutions and enterprises, worldwide, interested in sci-tech co-operation and readily provides ‘a full range of supports and services'.
Mr Zhang said: "BMSTC knows Birmingham City University is a good example of both academic research and educational training. Beijing seeks to develop its technology and can learn from Birmingham City University's good practice in relation to business enterprises."
The Beijing delegation heard presentations from the heads of TID's various schools. They demonstrated the Faculty's strength in-depth, as they outlined technological capabilities ranging from basic mechanical engineering, through a wide portfolio of some 50 technologies, to TV, sound and multimedia production.
Mr Zhang indicated admiration for the way the University had developed links with industry and commerce and transferred technologies, together with skills to apply them effectively, into individual businesses. His hope was that areas of mutual co-operation might be developed through an exchange of information and ideas. He said: "I would like to invite you to visit Beijing in order to build a bridge between the city and your University."
Mr Zhang's BMSTC delegation was impressed by the versatility of the TID Faculty's capabilities which have enabled it to play a major role in the University's help for over 5000 Midlands SMEs, over the last decade. TID has also become one of Cisco's ‘super-centre' academies for Europe, Middle East and Africa, and has developed major collaborative relationships with Microsoft, PTC and other global technology businesses.
Responding to the invitation of Beijing's Municipal Science and Technology Commission to build a bridge with Birmingham City University, TID Executive Dean, Prof Mel Lees, says: "China is a major economic power and the opportunity to build collaborative academic and commercial bridges with Beijing, proposed by Commissioner Zhang, is most important. It can help the UK benefit from China's growing trading importance and is particularly valuable as the Global Economy recovers from the current downturn. Our Faculty's mix of practical technological education, blended with global and local industry partnerships, gives TID a strongly entrepreneurial character. We play a significant part in helping UK companies to be technologically strong and must develop international collaboration to help our region prosper."