The Consul General of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Duan Jielong, visited the main campus of the University of Wollongong and the Innovation Campus for the first time yesterday (11 July).

The visit provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen ties between UOW and China as well as identify possible new opportunities.

The visiting delegation first visited the Innovation Campus where they were officially welcomed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International) Professor Joe Chicharo.

Professor Chicharo told the delegation that the Vice-Chancellor was disappointed he could not participate in the visit as he would be absent from Wollongong on the day.

Professor Chicharo provided the visitors with a brief overview of the University’s history including its achievements since its foundation in 1951. He pointed out that Chinese students comprised almost half of the international student intake into UOW.

The welcome also included brief talks on the research strengths of the Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM) by ISEM Director Professor ShiXue Dou and the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI) by Professor Geoff Spinks. [The Director of IPRI, Professor Gordon Wallace, is currently overseas]. They referred to the collaborations already in place with China and how they hoped to expand those collaborations.

The Director of the Innovation Campus, Mr David Campbell, provided an outline of developments taking place on the Innovation Campus site.

The Consul General offered his thanks for the comprehensive coverage and said how it was great to see Chinese students learning overseas in places like Wollongong.

He said these students will become leaders of the future in their respective fields and they will remember their time spent in Australia.

A short site tour of the Innovation Campus was undertaken before the delegation headed to UOW’s main campus for lunch.

Earlier in the day, the Consul General and his delegation met representatives from the Wollongong City Council including the Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery, OAM. Cr Bradbery then joined the delegation on their tour of the University.

The Consul-General was accompanied by three Consuls as part of the delegation including Consul Hong Feng (Educational Affairs) who has met representatives of UOW on earlier occasions.