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A seven-member delegation from Australia’s Deakin University, led by Deputy Vice-Chancellor David Halliwell and including deans from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, School of Engineering, and School of Architecture and Built Environment, paid a visit to Hubei University on May 20. The delegation was warmly received by Liu Zhihong, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hubei University Committee and Vice President of Hubei University, along with representatives from the International Office and the School of Resources and Environmental Science.

Vice President Liu extended a heartfelt welcome to the guests and highlighted Hubei University’s recent developments and its collaborative ties with Australian institutions. He emphasized the university’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with Deakin, one of its important partners of international cooperation. The two universities have successfully operated a Sino-Australian undergraduate joint program for over a decade, cultivating numerous globally competent graduates. Liu expressed hope for expanding high-quality collaboration in talent development, scientific research, and cultural exchange.

David Halliwell noted that Deakin, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, has recently entered the top 200 in global university rankings and consistently ranks among the world’s top 1%. This achievement, he remarked, reflects its innovative approach to excellence. He praised the outcomes of the joint Environmental Engineering program and proposed scaling up student exchanges and collaborative projects to build an "education innovation community" addressing global challenges.

During their visit, the delegation toured the Manchester Metropolitan Joint Institute and held in-depth discussions with the Faculty of Resources and Environmental Science on joint training programs and academic exchanges for students at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.