Chinese State Councillor visits Imperial

Chinese State Councillor Madame Liu Yandong visited Imperial on 15 April - News story

Monday 16 April 2012
By John-Paul Jones

Chinese State Councillor Madame Liu Yandong paid a visit to Imperial College London this weekend, where she learnt more about the College and its links with China before taking a tour of the robotic surgery facilities in the College’s Hamlyn Centre, part of the Institute of Global Health Innovation.

Madame Liu who, as a member of China’s Politburo, is the highest ranking female politician in China, is currently on a visit to Europe taking in the UK, Belgium and Cyprus.  She arrived at the College on Sunday morning, accompanied by Mr Liu Xiaoming, China’s Ambassador to the UK, and senior Chinese ministers. The delegation was met by Imperial’s Rector Sir Keith O’Nions, Pro Rector (International Affairs) Dr Simon Buckle and Professor Guang-Zhong Yang, Director of the Hamlyn Centre.

The Rector said: “We are privileged to welcome Madame Liu to Imperial today. This visit also provides an opportunity to recall Imperial's strong relationship with China, reflected both in numerous academic links and the significant contributions of Chinese staff and students to the Imperial community. It is a relationship we look forward to deepening in the future."

See below for a slideshow of the visit.

Following presentations on Imperial and its links with China and the College’s approach to innovation, Madame Liu met Chinese staff and students based at the College before Professor Yang took her on a tour of the Hamlyn Centre. During the tour Madame Liu watched demonstrations of the robotic technologies being developed at Imperial to enhance the precision of surgery.

Madame Liu’s tour ended outside Imperial College Business School. Thanking the Rector for hosting her visit she said: "It was a pleasure to visit Imperial and learn more about the College's work, as well as to hear more about its continuing relationship with China."

Sunday’s event follows a visit in February by the Chinese Ambassador. Other links between Imperial and China include high-level agreements with some of China’s top universities, as well as agreeing 15 scholarships for Chinese PhD students, jointly and equally supported by Imperial and the Chinese Scholarship Council.