10 Apr 07

The Vice-Chancellor underlined the university's strong links with China in welcoming Li Yuanchao, Party Secretary for Jiangsu Province, China to Oxford last month. Spoken of in the UK media as a potential national leader, Mr Li led a delegation that included the President of Nanjing University, Chen Jun, and the Mayor of Wuxi, Mao Xiaoping.

A standing room-only crowd of over 120 people greeted Mr Li on his arrival at the Saïd Business School, where he gave a lecture in English on 'New Concepts in Socialist China'. He commended the UK as the birthplace of socialism, highlighted progress on China's 'way to modernization', and introduced the audience to Jiangsu province, home to 65 million people. Mr Li highlighted the economic development of a province that ranks among the top three for GDP growth in China. But he also emphasised the importance of education, public security, and support for the less advantaged in creating a 'harmonious society'.

Mr Li and his delegation spent the afternoon in conversation with Oxford academics, students, and leaders, seeing the full range of connections between Oxford and China spanning all divisions. They include more than 25 academics working on China, with further appointments to be made this year, as well as the Oxford China Graduate Scholarships, a joint initiative between the University and the Chinese Ministry of Education to fund Chinese postgraduates.

At the Bodleian Library, Mr Li saw Chinese manuscripts and modern books that form part of a Chinese collection started in 1604. At the Business School, Shio-Yun Kan of the Institute for Chinese Studies described Oxford's co-creation of the new £5 million British Inter-university Centre on China (joint with Bristol and Manchester). Tomo Suzuki, University Lecturer in Management Studies, outlined the School's ambition to be a leading centre for Chinese business studies. Eric Thun, Peter Moores Lecturer in Chinese Business Studies, spoke briefly about his recent book, Changing Lanes in China: Foreign Direct Investment, Local Government, and Auto Sector Development. Mr Li also discussed findings from the university's largest collaboration with China: the large-scale studies on smoking and other causes of premature death directed by Sir Richard Peto and Professor Zhengming Chen of the Clinical Trial Service Unit.

This was Mr Li's first visit to Oxford. Throughout the day, many of the over 700 Chinese students studying at Oxford approached him (some waiting up to an hour to do so). Mr Li commented at the close of his stay that when he first started learning English 40 years ago, the only English-Chinese dictionary was the Oxford Dictionary and that the few pictures in it were of Oxford. Mr Li was delighted to have finally seen Oxford in person.