On March 21st and 22nd, Professor PhilDeans, the President of Richmond American University London, and Professor Zhang Xinsheng, the Assistant to the President, visited our school. Mr. Cao Jian, the Director of the Market Department of China Education Group, Wu Jinzhou, the Director of the Teaching and Human Resources Department, Wang Shanming, the Director of the Strategy and Investment Department, and Wang Yuyan, the International Education Manager of the Teaching and Human Resources Department, along with our school's Chairman Wan Shaokai, President Li Keyong, Vice President Wang Guangming, Vice President Yang Haitao, and Vice President Liu Yi, met with the visiting guests. Relevant responsible persons from the Academic Affairs Office, the International Cooperation and Exchange Office, and the General Affairs Office accompanied them.

On the afternoon of the 21st, Professor Phil held a lecture and exchange meeting on international education in the academic report hall of our school’s Yubei campus. Teachers and students from our Richmond Undergraduate-to-Postgraduate International Program and foreign language majors participated in the exchange meeting.

At the beginning of the lecture, Vice President Liu Yi, on behalf of our university, extended a warm welcome and sincere thanks to Professor Phil and Professor Zhang Xinsheng for their visit. He stated that our university has been firmly committed to promoting the internationalization of school education, facilitating innovation in education and teaching, realizing the sharing of international educational resources, and expanding the network of global university partnerships. The establishment of the Richmond Undergraduate-to-Postgraduate International Program is an attempt and innovation of our university in international education. He added, “We look forward to cooperating with like-minded overseas universities to introduce international educational resources. This will not only broaden students' horizons and optimize existing education and teaching models but also deepen their understanding of different cultures around the world, trainning top, innovative, and high-quality talents with global competence.”

Next, Professor Phil, focusing on the theme of “international education,” shared his views on the development of education in the context of a global era. He believes that international education can lead students to engage with different cultures, understand the educational systems and institutions of various countries and regions, and expose them to different teaching methods and ways of thinking. Meanwhile, he also provided a detailed introduction to Richmond American University London, as an international institution. The university accommodates students from over 60 countries with diverse cultural backgrounds. Its educational system combines the American focus on liberal arts education and personal development with the British emphasis on elite education and career advancement. Graduates can earn both British and American degrees, creating advantageous conditions for their future academic pursuits and career opportunities.

Professor Phil also encouraged students to “go out” by sharing his own experiences. He said, “College students should try to master multiple languages and cultural knowledge, develop intercultural communication skills, and accumulate international experience and skills, so as to better adapt to and meet the needs of the globalized era. These will greatly help college students in their future development, job hunting, and entrepreneurship.” Student representatives also engaged in interactive exchanges with Professor Phil, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere at the event.

On the morning of the 22nd, Professor Phil and his delegation visited our school’s Qijiang campus accompanied by President Li Keyong, Vice Presidents Yang Haitao and Liu Yi, as well as heads of relevant departments. They successively toured the library, the practice building, the cherry blossom avenue, the dormitories, and the smart cafeteria. They also took a commemorative photo with students from our school’s Hanfu Club under the cherry blossom trees.

During this visit, our university also conducted an online institutional approval meeting for the Sino-British dual-degree joint training program with more than ten foreign experts from the University of Aberdeen and Durham University in the UK. The meeting discussed and deliberated on the university's mission planning, school conditions and objectives, teaching management, faculty development, academic management, quality assurance, and student learning support.

During the visit, Professor Phil expressed that through this exchange, he gained a deeper understanding of the scale and distinctive features of Chongqing Institute of Foreign Studies. He also expressed his hope to maintain a long-term and strong partnership with our school and to further promote the international development of the university’s education.

Richmond American University London, established in 1972 and located in the capital of the United Kingdom, is the only university in the world that grants both British and American degrees. The institution is accredited by the Ministry of Education of China. In recent years, our school has continuously deepened its cooperative education with Richmond American University London. In the future, our school will continue to promote deeper and broader international exchange and educational cooperation, leading more students to step onto the global stage with a more open attitude, and training more outstanding international talents for the school and society.