From June 7 to 11, Vice President Yao Lingzhen led a delegation on a working visit to the United Kingdom. The visit centered on Sino-foreign cooperative education and articulated bachelor's-to-master's programs, with substantive engagement with several leading British universities. It aimed to expand access to high-quality educational resources in support of SUFE's Double First-Class initiative and its commitment to cultivating top-tier talent — and represents a concrete step in implementing the university's 15th Five-Year internationalization plan.
At Durham University, the delegation first met with Kieran Fernandes, Executive Dean of Durham University Business School, and other colleagues. The two sides reviewed the long-standing academic foundation between the two universities, exchanged views on the implementation of the inaugural cohort of the joint dual-degree master's program, and used the occasion to further explore proposals for an undergraduate Sino-foreign cooperative education program and 3+1 and 4+1 articulated bachelor's-to-master's pathways, mapping out the steps for follow-up work. Both parties agreed to actively advance a dual-degree undergraduate program on the basis of existing cooperation, extending the partnership to higher levels and broader fields. The delegation subsequently met with Durham's Vice-Chancellor and Warden Karen O'Brien, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Claire O'Malley, and other senior leaders, at which point both institutions formally signed a university-level Memorandum of Understanding and an agreement on the articulated bachelor's-to-master's program. The signing marks a significant milestone in the two universities' deepening strategic partnership and a substantive step forward in jointly cultivating high-quality finance and economics talent.
At the University of Bristol, the delegation held talks with Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for International Education Liang-Fong Wong, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Affairs Melissa Allen, and other colleagues. Both sides introduced their respective institutional profiles and disciplinary strengths in economics and finance, with discussions converging on a 3+1 articulated bachelor's-to-master's program. The meeting included in-depth exchanges on key aspects such as curriculum arrangements and graduation requirements. Bristol shared its successful experience operating 3+1 programs in STEM fields for over five years, which have in recent years been extended to its business school. Both parties agreed that faculty-level counterparts would continue to align on curriculum details and accelerate the program's implementation. This engagement marks the first time SUFE has established a formal cooperative relationship with the University of Bristol, laying a strong foundation for future talent development and academic exchange.
At the University of Warwick, the delegation held in-depth discussions with Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Affairs Michael Scott, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor Gu Sai, and other colleagues. The two sides reviewed the longstanding foundation of academic cooperation and exchanged views on the implementation of the existing 4+1 articulated bachelor's-to-master's program. Building on this, they engaged in substantive consultations on a 3+1 program and undergraduate dual-degree cooperation, reaching a shared view that, given the complementary strengths of both universities in economics, finance, data science, artificial intelligence, and other interdisciplinary fields, there are excellent prospects for advancing higher-level joint cultivation models. Both parties will maintain ongoing communication on curriculum alignment, credit transfer, and related matters to facilitate the early launch of new programs.
At Queen Mary University of London, the delegation held talks with Philippa Lloyd, Vice-Principal for Policy and Strategy, and Prof. Alp Atakan, Dean of the School of Economics and Finance, among others. The two sides reviewed achievements in student exchange and joint master's programs, and discussed deepening cooperation through a 3+1 articulated program and Sino-foreign cooperative education programs.
At King's College London, the delegation met with Robyn Klingler-Vidra, Associate Dean for Global Affairs at King's Business School, along with faculty from the Department of Economics and Finance. Both sides shared their respective disciplinary strengths and collaborative interests, and explored the feasibility of cooperation in 4+1 and 3+1 articulated programs, joint research, and summer courses.
During the visit, the delegation also called on the headquarters of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the London branch of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB), and the SUFE Alumni Association in the UK. At ICAEW headquarters, the delegation met with CEO Alan Vallance and other senior officials. The two sides reviewed five years of exchange and collaboration, shared innovative approaches to accounting education in the age of AI, and exchanged views on credential recognition, the integration of AI and sustainability in education, and executive overseas study programs. At the SPDB London branch, the delegation gained an understanding of the operational landscape for Chinese financial institutions in the UK and the demand for cross-border finance talent. At the SUFE UK alumni roundtable, delegation members met with alumni representatives, introduced the university's latest development initiatives, listened to alumni feedback, and discussed ways to strengthen engagement with the overseas alumni network.
The delegation included Xia Jijun, Assistant to the President and Dean of the Academic Affairs Office; Ding Dong, Acting Director of the International Office; Chen Yuanyuan, Associate Dean of the School of Economics; and Feng Ling, Associate Dean of the School of Finance.
Note: The 3+1 articulated bachelor's-to-master's program refers to an arrangement in which students complete the first three years of their undergraduate studies at SUFE and earn the corresponding credits, then spend their fourth year enrolled in a one-year master's degree program at the overseas partner university. Upon fulfilling the curriculum requirements and earning the requisite credits from both institutions, and upon satisfying each institution's conditions for degree conferral, students receive a bachelor's degree from SUFE and a master's degree from the partner university.
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