Mon, 15 July, 2024
TWI was honoured to host a delegation from Dalian University of Technology of China recently at its headquarters in Cambridge, UK. The twenty or so guests were received by Dr Shiladitya Paul, Director of the Materials Innovation Centre; a long-term, strategic partnership between the University of Leicester (UoL) and TWI, and Ujjwal Bharadwaj, Technology Innovation Management Section Manager and Ian Froment, Industrial Membership Services Section Manager, both of TWI. The visit was organised by Dr Bo Tian, Lecturer in Engineering at the UoL.
Dalian University of Technology (DUT) offers a multi-disciplinary approach focused on science and engineering, across the disciplines of economics, management, humanities, law, philosophy and the arts. Internationalisation is an important strategic goal and has resulted in the establishment of long-term collaborations with more than 300 universities and institutions, in over 40 countries and regions. These include three Sino-foreign, cooperative institutions, one of which is with the University of Leicester in the UK, and a Sino-foreign, cooperative programme with the University of California in Irvine, USA. In order to enhance students’ international vision and academic capability, the University actively fosters over 150 overseas exchange programmes, and since 2022, has over 1,300 international students.
The University of Leicester (UoL) and DUT jointly established the Leicester International Institute, Dalian University of Technology as a Sino-foreign, cooperative, educational institution (CEI) in 2017 with the approval of the China Ministry of Education. The Institute is located within the DUT Panjin Campus in China and the first cohort of 168 students started their studies in September of the same year.
The Materials Innovation Centre (MatIC), founded in late 2016, is at the forefront of metallic materials research into how properties and performance relate to processing-dependent microstructures. MatIC is also developing computational models to relate microstructure to properties and performance.
The visit by DUT representatives to TWI Cambridge started with a networking lunch in the on-site restaurant and the chance for everyone present to discuss areas of mutual interest. This was followed by presentations on: TWI’s 75+ year history including its technologies, expertise and services; the support provided by TWI’s Technology Innovation Management team to enable like-minded partners to access grant funding for collaborative research and development (R&D); and the research areas covered by MatIC together with a selection of success projects from its portfolio. Finally, guests enjoyed a tour of TWI’s state-of-the-art engineering laboratories before departing.
Reflecting on the afternoon, Dr Paul, Director of the Materials Innovation Centre, said “We were delighted to host this visit from Dalian University of Technology (DUT), with activities including a look around TWI facilities, showcasing the organisation’s offering and contribution to industry, and insightful talks from key TWI staff. With several attendees from DUT having industrial backgrounds, the visit sparked engaging conversations, highlighting the importance of joint initiatives between industry, RTOs and academia.” Adding “Such interactions facilitate the exchange of ideas and lay the foundation for future collaborations.”
Dr Bo Tian, Lecturer in Engineering, UoL, said “TWI and Dalian University of Technology are both key partners of University of Leicester. As the Engineering Program Director of the Dalian-Leicester Institute, I was delighted to lead DUT's MBA students on their visit to TWI. These students are all professionals with many years of experience in industry and entrepreneurship.” Going on to explain “TWI's cutting-edge science is directly beneficial to them, for example, Ms. Xiaodong Qiao, the founder of Xiangdong Construction Engineering (Dalian) Co., Ltd., told me that her company will join the TWI Orbit collaborative projects and networking platform. She believes that TWI's advanced technology will help herself, as well as her business to grow faster, and become a more competitive and international enterprise. I am confident that this visit will also expand TWI's influence in the Chinese industrial sector, and strengthen the ties between the University of Leicester, Dalian University of Technology, and TWI.”