On March 20, the delegation of Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin), Ireland, led by President David FitzPatrick visited SSPU. The delegation included Patrick Flynn, Head of Learning Development of Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Colin Hughes, Head of Graduate Business School, Paul Doyle, Head of School of Computer Science and Bei Gao, Senior Strategic Partnerships & Alliances Manager. SSPU President Xie Huaqing and Vice President Ding Li met with the guests at the Academic Exchange Center.

A signing ceremony between the two universities was held at the meeting. President Xie Huaqing and President David FitzPatrick signed the Agreement on Student Exchange between SSPU and TU Dublin on behalf of the two universities. Under this agreement, the two universities will carry out exchange programs in the field of computer science for one or two semesters, with two-way student exchange and mutual recognition of credits.

At the meeting, President Xie Huaqing firstly expressed welcome to the delegation. He said that the two universities share similar philosophy of education, attach great importance to the integration of industry and education, industry-university-research cooperation, and are highly compatible with each other on advantageous disciplines such as engineering, business, etc., which lay a solid foundation for the cooperation. SSPU has been in partnership with Institute of Technology Tallaght (later merged with two other institutions to form TU Dublin) since 2016, and both sides have carried out in-depth cooperation in terms of foreign expert program, teacher training in Ireland, student exchange program, and teaching and academic exchanges. Meanwhile, President Xie expressed his gratitude to President David FitzPatrick for serving as a member of the SSPU Council since 2019 and offering suggestions and advice to SSPU’s development in various areas. Last December, SSPU delegation led by Vice President Ding Li visited TU Dublin, during which both sides conducted in-depth and fruitful discussions and exchanges on the potential cooperation. The signing of the agreement is a good start to further deepen the cooperation, and it is believed that the cooperation will have a broad prospect through joint efforts.

President FitzPatrick expressed his gratitude for SSPU’s hospitality. He briefly introduced TU Dublin and its orientation and characteristics as a technological university. He said that TU Dublin pays more attention to scientific research and innovation in serving industries and regions than traditional universities, emphasizes practice-oriented education and scientific research, follows the needs of labor market closely in the process of student cultivation, and attaches importance to students’ practical learning in enterprises and related sectors of the society. The two universities have a solid foundation for cooperation and he hoped that the two universities would work together to promote cooperation in various fields.

Vice President Ding Li expected that the two sides could further deepen the exchanges and cooperation in teaching and scientific research between faculty members through teacher mobility, establishment of joint laboratories, joint research, co-organization of seminars and other ways.

The two sides further exchanged views and reached a broad consensus on promoting cooperation in multi-level joint cultivation, Chinese+ program, student exchange program, summer school, teacher mobility, vocational and technical teacher education program, and the possibility of Chinese-foreign cooperation in running schools.

During the visit, the delegation also had a campus tour. Heads and representatives from International Office, School of Computer and Information Engineering, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Economics and Management, Vocational & Technical Teacher Education School, Office of International Student Affairs (School of International Education) and College of International Vocational Education attended above activities.