A deepening relationship between the University of East Anglia and a university near Hong Kong will allow more UEA students to study in China.

UEA vice chancellor David Richardson yesterdayaugust 11 signed a memorandum of understanding with Chen Shiyi, the president of the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen.

The agreement will allow UEA PhD students to experience studying for their degree at both UEA and SUSTech, and academic staff from the two institutions will jointly supervise students, and work together on joint research collaborations.

This will initially focus on the area of environmental sciences, and there will also be opportunities for undergraduate exchange students from both universities to study at both institutions.

Prof Richardson said: 'At UEA, we deliver quality degree courses that allow our students and graduates to thrive in an ever changing global environment. That is our goal but it cannot be achieved alone.

'In an increasingly competitive world, we must work together internationally with strategic partners to provide unique experiences and added value in order to achieve this goal of providing the very best educational experience possible.'

Currently, 42pc of the UEA's non-EU oversees fee-paying students come from China.

Prof Chen said: 'International engagement is pivotal to SUSTech's vision as a 21st-century global university.

'The agreement signed today will lead to not only a joint effort for our postgraduate education but also the beginning of substantial exchange and cooperation between the two universities.

'I look forward to a very fruitful and successful partnership with UEA.'

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