On April 21, 2026, a delegation led by Catherine Itsiopoulos, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), visited Shenzhen University. The two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Shouzheng Building on Shenzhen University's Lihu Campus, followed by in-depth discussions on future areas of cooperation. Both parties reached an agreement to jointly apply for a Ministry of Education's Sino-foreign cooperative education program in engineering disciplines. Li Yonghua, Vice President of Shenzhen University, attended the event.
On behalf of Shenzhen University, Li Yonghua extended a warm welcome to the visiting delegation. He emphasized that Shenzhen University is committed to an open-door policy and continues to advance its internationalization, having established extensive partnerships with universities worldwide, thus laying a solid foundation for future cooperation. RMIT excels in fields such as engineering, technology, and computer science, which are highly aligned with Shenzhen University's development strategy. The signing of this MOU will further deepen practical collaboration between the two institutions in areas like Sino-foreign cooperative education and research, and accelerate the implementation of joint projects.
Catherine Itsiopoulos expressed her gratitude for Shenzhen University's warm reception and highly praised the university's vibrant development and outstanding academic achievements. She stated that RMIT is committed to playing a leading role in emerging technologies, sustainable development, and social innovation. The alignment of both institutions' philosophies on talent development and strategic direction makes Shenzhen University an important partner. She noted that RMIT places great value on its collaboration with Shenzhen University. Building on their strong existing partnership, both institutions will begin by launching Sino-foreign joint programs and gradually deepen their collaboration, working toward the establishment of a joint college.
Following the signing ceremony, the delegation participated in a specialized forum at Shenzhen University's Medical School. Officials from Shenzhen University's Office of International Exchange and Cooperation and the Medical School, as well as faculty representatives attended the forum. They engaged in in-depth discussions on medical education and research collaboration, exploring topics such as the development of medical disciplines, shared research platforms, and talent development models.
The delegation also visited Shenzhen University's Central Library, the Medical School's Platform for Research and Innovation and Experimental Center, and Shenzhen University General Hospital. During their visit to the General Hospital, the delegation toured clinical departments such as dermatology, otorhinolaryngology, and ophthalmology, gaining detailed insights into the hospital's practices and achievements in discipline development, medical services, and the integrated advancement of medicine, education, and research.
The participants included representatives from RMIT's International Portfolio, Shenzhen University's Office of International Exchange and Cooperation, as well as officials and faculty members from Shenzhen University's College of Computer Science and Software Engineering and the College of Electronics and Information Engineering.
