Both NPU’s president Wang Jinsong and Queen Mary’s president and principal Colin Bailey participated in the launch ceremony in Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi province, where NPU has its campuses.

Colin Grant, Queen Mary’s VP International and Gabriel Cavalli, director of the ICTL, were also part of the university delegation.

“It is a big statement of intent concerning our passion for students – the leaders of tomorrow”

The new centre will be part of the existing Queen Mary University of London Engineering School of NPU (QMES), a Sino-foreign Educational Institution. Its aim will be to establish best teaching and learning practice across STEM subjects.

“The ICTL will develop and promote innovative teaching practice in STEM subjects within the transnational education setting at QMES, through conducting educational research and scholarship activity,” Centre director Gabriel Cavalli told The PIE News.

“This is particularly relevant since most educational research has been, traditionally, carried out within the Social Sciences.”

Cavalli explained that the QMES, thanks to its transcultural and trans-organisational setting, is serving as an “outstanding” laboratory model for the development of internationally relevant teaching practice in STEM HE.

The ICTL will also provide teaching staff at QMES with opportunities for external, international certification of their teaching, Cavalli added.

Grant told The PIE he was “incredibly proud” of the development.

“[The ICTL] opens up major partnership dimensions for us with world-class universities committed to making a big impact,” he said.

“It is a big statement of intent concerning our passion for students – the leaders of tomorrow.”

Commenting on the launch of the ICTL, Bailey said it exemplifies the success of the UK-China “golden era”.

“By deepening our connections with NPU, our students will further experience the best of British and Chinese education and research in the field of Materials Engineering,” he said.

Wang said that the close partnership between the two institutions will allow for enhanced progress in education and research.

“The relationships among different countries are much closer now than ever before… which brings more opportunities for institutions to communicate,” he said.

The QMES was opened in 2016, the first transnational education model of its kind in Northwestern China.

The first cohort of students started in September 2017, and they will graduate with degrees from both universities.