On July 22, John Downey, Associate Vice-Chancellor of Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, visited Wuhan University. Vice President Yuan Yufeng met with the guest in the Wuhan University Administration Building, with relevant officials from the School of Journalism and Communication and the Office of International Affairs present.
During the meeting, Yuan Yufeng extended a warm welcome to John Downey and briefly introduced the history and unique characteristics of Wuhan University. He noted that Wuhan University offers a comprehensive range of disciplines with distinctive features, boasting a strong faculty team and excellent teaching quality in foundational subjects such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry. He also mentioned that Wuhan University excels in applied sciences, with state-level research platforms such as the State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying and Mapping and the State Key Laboratory of Water Resources Engineering and Management. Vice President Yuan expressed his hope for further deepening academic exchanges and cooperation between Loughborough University and Wuhan University, expanding the breadth and depth of collaboration, and jointly cultivating innovative talents with an international perspective.
John Downey expressed his appreciation for the warm reception. He shared basic facts and figures about Loughborough University, highlighting its globally leading teaching standards in disciplines such as mechanical and electrical engineering, journalism and communication, art and design, natural sciences, and sports. He expressed his hopes for the establishment of a bilateral cooperation between Loughborough University and Wuhan University, starting with summer student exchanges, faculty visits, and joint academic research, aiming to address the challenges and difficulties faced by societies and achieve mutual benefits through collaboration.
On the morning of July 22, John Downey also visited Wuhan University's Research Institute of Environmental Law to learn about its research and significant contributions in the field of climate change. In the afternoon, he attended the 189th session of the Yangtze Forum organized by the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences and the School of Journalism and Communication, delivering a keynote speech titled ‘Are We at a Breaking Point in Reporting Heatwaves? Comparing Content, Timing, and Perceptions in Newspapers Around the World.’ Subsequently, Wuhan University's Executive Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Shen Zhuanghai, presented him with a Yangtze Forum commemorative plaque.
It is reported that Loughborough University, founded in 1909, is a public comprehensive university with two main campuses. The primary campus is located in Loughborough, Leicestershire, in central England, and the London campus is situated in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Loughborough University ranks tenth among UK universities and 212th in the 2024 QS World University Rankings, with its sports-related subjects ranked first in the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject.
