On 12 December 2024, the China-UK Universities Roundtable and the Launch of the UK Young Envoys Scholarship Programme were held at Queen Mary University of London. H.E. Ambassador Zheng Zeguang, Chinese Vice Minister of Education Wu Yan, and UK Minister of State for Education Baroness Smith of Malvern attended the event and delivered remarks. Over 100 representatives from 24 renowned universities and educational institutions from China and the UK joined the event.
Ambassador Zheng extended warm congratulations on the successful convening of the event. He pointed out that China and the UK have their own distinctive characteristics and strengths in education. Enhancing educational exchanges and collaboration meets the common interests of both sides and the shared aspirations of people in both countries. Recently, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Keir Starmer met in Brazil and both leaders stressed the importance of strengthening China-UK cooperation in education and culture. This event was a concrete action to implement the important common understanding reached between our leaders.
Ambassador Zheng noted that universities are important contributors to China-UK educational cooperation. In the past five years, 24.8% of UK academic articles, including those co-authored with China, have achieved a citation impact of twice the global average. China and the UK, through education cooperation, have provided a large talent pool, be it in the economic, scientific or cultural sectors. While doing their own jobs well, they are also goodwill ambassadors connecting China and the UK.
Ambassador Zheng stated that now about 200,000 Chinese students are studying in the UK, and around 12,000 British students go to China for long-term or short-term studies every year. Friendship among the youth is where the future of China-UK relations lies. We welcome more British students to study in China, and are confident that the launch of the UK Young Envoys Scholarship Programme will certainly create more opportunities for exchanges and friendship between the youth of China and the UK. The Chinese Embassy in the UK will, as always, facilitate and support educational exchanges and collaboration between the two countries.
Vice Minister Wu commended the progress achieved by Chinese and British universities under the initiative to double the number of European youth participating in exchanges in China, and expressed hope that youth from both nations will seize these valuable opportunities, broaden their horizons through exchanges, and form lasting friendships, thereby contributing to a brighter future for China, the UK, and the Eurasian continent.
The Young Envoys Scholarship Programme is to implement the initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping during his visit to Europe in May this year. The initiative aims to double the number of European youth participating in Sino-European exchange programmes over the next three years to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between Chinese and European youth.
