From March 18 to 19, Chen Zijiang, Vice-President of Shandong University, was invited to lead a delegation to visit the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, to fully develop the cooperation between the two universities. During their visit, the delegation met with Isaiah Arkin, Vice-President and Chairman of the Authority for Research and Development at the Hebrew University, and Aharon (Ronnie) Friedman, Vice-President for Advancement and External Relations at the Hebrew University.
During the meeting, Chen introduced the historical development of Shandong University and the construction of Qingdao campus of Shandong University. Based on contacts and discussion of the two sides last year, she put forward some suggestions about multiple forms of comprehensive cooperation in the fields of archaeology, agriculture, social work, computer, and microelectronics, such as scientific research, technology transfer, student exchange, and cooperative training.
Arkin introduced the Hebrew University’s history, discipline advantages and scientific research achievements. Friedman expressed a strong intent to cooperate with SDU, hoping both sides would as quickly as possible sign the letter of intent for cooperation regarding all-round cooperation, to implement and promote the cooperation in each area.
During the visit, the delegation also held a series of meetings to discuss the issues in cooperation with scholars at the Hebrew University in the fields of social work, humanities, archaeology, earth science, nanotechnology, marine science, computer, and agriculture. They also visited the laboratories of earth science, nanoscience, agricultural genetics and technology, and plant science. Representatives from SDU’s School of History and Culture, Agriculture School, and International Affairs Department, also attended the visit.
After two days of talks, both sides reached consensus on cooperation in many fields, and initially determined the content of cooperation in some areas. In the field of social work, the two sides reached consensus about student exchange, joint doctoral training and setting up summer camp together. In the field of archaeology, the two universities agreed to carry out student exchange programs, and will plan an international laboratory together. The humanities subjects at the Hebrew University will combine a new series of courses in Chinese studies, which were set up by Shandong University, to establish the joint Master program together.
The two sides agreed to take the opportunity of the 22th International Congress of Historical Sciences, with jointly organized seminars in the areas of history, archaeology and so forth, to further promote both sides' cooperative scientific research of humanities. The two universities also agreed to hold seminars together to exchange ideas in the fields of nanotechnology, computer and agriculture, and discuss the details of cooperation, in these three fields, in Chinese-foreign cooperatively-run schools as well as joint training programs for students.
On the aspects of marine science as well as international scientific and technological innovation and transfer, the two universities will discuss further cooperation of the Qingdao campus at Shandong University in the future.