A MOU between Tongji CCE and the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Auckland was signed to explore stronger interdepartmental collaboration in student exchange, talent cultivation, and scientific research.

From June 22nd to 27th, a delegation led by Professor Lou Yongqi, the vice president of Tongji University, along with Professor Lu Yiqiu and other faculty members and students from the College of Civil Engineering (CCE) of Tongji University, visited Tongji University’s partner universities in New Zealand. On June 24th, the delegation engaged in discussion with key figures of the University of Auckland—Professor Caroline Daley, the Dean of Graduate Studies, and Associate Professor Richard Clarke, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering. The meeting culminated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the CCE and the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Auckland, in the presence of Professor Lou Yongqi. The MOU outlines plans for collaboration in student exchange, talent cultivation, and scientific research, marking a significant step in the partnership between the two institutions.

In addition to the MOU, the “Tongji-Auckland” graduate academic forum on “Seismic Resilient Cities” was held, providing a platform for graduate students from both universities to present their research on topics related to seismic resilience. The delegation also visited various laboratories at the University of Auckland and the University of Canterbury, taking a close look at the latest technologies and techniques for seismic resilience.

This partnership builds on the successful collaboration initiated in 2018 with the first Tongji University-University of Auckland ILEE-QuakeCoRE international cooperation project. The signing of the MOU marks a deepening of the partnership, focusing on promoting collaboration in talent cultivation, discipline development and scientific research.