From January 12 to 13, 2026, the "International Education Exchange Summit" hosted by the University of Roehampton, UK, opened grandly in Chengdu. Centered on the theme "Deepening Sino-UK Educational Cooperation, Jointly Opening a New Chapter in Cross-border Academia," the summit brought together representatives and distinguished guests from multiple Chinese and British universities to explore new models and pathways for cross-border educational collaboration. Wang Shuqian, President of our university, and Zhao Shouying, Member of the University Party Committee and Vice President (Director-General Level), were invited to attend the summit. They were accompanied by Zhang Bin, Director of theInternational Office ; Li Pei, Secretary of the Party Committee of the College of Music and Dance; and Xiao Wei, Head of the Dance Department at theMusic and Dance School.

At the opening ceremony, President Wang Shuqian delivered an insightful speech titled "Upholding the Mission of Education, Building Bridges Between China and the UK, Embarking on a New Academic Journey," introducing the overall profile and distinctive strengths of our university to educational colleagues from home and abroad. During her visit to the University of Roehampton in the UK last November, President Wang was deeply impressed by the campus culture and educational philosophy that harmoniously blends natural humanities with technological innovation. The two universities formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding, laying a solid foundation for deepening the internationalization of specialized disciplines. Founded in 1841, the University of Roehampton is a historic traditional collegiate university in the UK, enjoying high international acclaim both academically and professionally. Its School of Dance is the largest in Europe, and its arts disciplines rank first in the UK. Based on our university's current realities and developmental vision, we will build consensus and advance hand in hand with the University of Roehampton to elevate the level of cooperation in areas such as disciplinary collaboration and the joint establishment of art innovation platforms.

Xiao Wei, Head of the Dance Department at our College of Music and Dance, delivered a thematic presentation titled "Building a Bridge of Dance: Connecting Guizhou's Ethnic Rhythms with the Future of Aesthetic Education through UK Educational Innovation." He comprehensively introduced the distinctive features of the College of Music and Dance and proposed several visions for cross-cultural collaborative education. These include: 1) planning to launch "4+0" or "3+1+1" undergraduate and postgraduate joint programs with the University of Roehampton, focusing on areas such as Choreography and Dance Anthropology; 2) establishing a two-way platform for faculty exchanges, degree advancement, and joint research to deeply explore the integrative value of Guizhou's ethnic dance resources and Western dance education theories; and 3) jointly creating a "Ethnic Dance Therapy" laboratory to explore the psychological healing applications of traditional ritual dances and expand the boundaries of dance aesthetic education.

Our university and the University of Roehampton attach great importance to future cooperation. Taking this summit as a starting point, we aim not only to renew our friendship but also to pioneer new frontiers together, building an open, inclusive, interconnected, and mutually beneficial new ecosystem for higher education. The summit was highly fruitful. The University of Roehampton conferred upon President Wang Shuqian the title of "Honorary Scholar" and upon Vice President Zhao Shouying the title of "Honorary Advisor."

Text by Zhang Bin,

Photos by Summit Organizing Committee,

First review by Xiang Chenhui,

Second review by Xu An'ti,

Final review by Zhang Bin.

Wang Shuqian delivered the speech.

Stephen, Vice President of Roehampton University, delivered the welcome speech.

Xiao Wei gave the keynote speech.

Meeting Scene

Group photo