A delegation from one of China's leading engineering universities visited University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) in August, laying the groundwork for collaboration across research, graduate education, and student mobility.
On 28 August 2026, UNM hosted a delegation from China University of Petroleum (East China), also known as UPC, marking a significant step towards establishing a long-term academic partnership between the two institutions.
The visit was led on UNM's side by Vice Provost for Research and Knowledge Exchange Professor Shahir Liew, alongside Professor Steve Janssen, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, as well as Heads of School and senior members of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Hub and Graduate School. The UPC delegation comprised Professor Depeng Kong, Associate Dean of the College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Professor Yuanchang Chang from the same college, and Dr Rui Hou from UPC's Office of International Affairs.
The agenda included presentations from both universities, followed by discussions on areas of potential research collaboration like mechanical engineering and pipeline research. The delegation also toured UNM's laboratory facilities, offering UPC's academics an in-depth look at the University's research infrastructure and capabilities.
Apart from collaborative research, UNM and UPC are exploring several other areas of partnership as well. These include co-supervision of PhD in Computer Science students supported by Chinese government grants, and student exchange programmes, with UPC postgraduate students coming to UNM for short-term visits, and UNM students participating in summer school at UPC.
In addition to the campus visit, Professor Shahir organised meetings for the delegation with industry partners in Kuala Lumpur and a visit to Universiti Teknologi Petronas, therefore broadening opportunities for research collaboration.
The visit and its purpose point to a growing appetite among leading international institutions to partner with UNM, and positions the University as an increasingly sought-after hub for cross-border research and academic exchange.
Posted on 15th September 2026