From 23 to 30 November 2025, Chief Liang Guo of China-UK Low Carbon College (LCC), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), led a delegation to visit the UK and France. The visit aimed to strengthen academic exchanges and research collaboration with partner universities in both countries, and to further expand LCC’s global cooperation network.

On November 24, the delegation visited Université Gustave Eiffel (UGE) in France and held an official meeting with President Gilles ROUSSEL. The two sides shared their educational strengths and key research priorities, planning to expand cooperation with the start from research internships and student exchange programs. The UGE presidency team intends to visit SJTU next spring to sign the university-level cooperation agreement. Université Gustave Eiffel is a multidisciplinary public university in France with research focus on sustainable urban transformation, established in 2020 through the merger of six higher education institutions, it represents one quarter of French research capacity in the field of sustainable cities.

On November 25, the delegation visited the Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London (UCL) and held discussions with faculty members engaged in existing collaborative researches. The two sides conducted in-depth discussions on low-carbon technologies, environmental engineering and climate change, and agreed to pursue deeper cooperation in the future based upon this, aiming to establish long-term strategic partnership through initiatives such as joint PhD training, etc.

On November 26, the delegation visited the University of Leeds and met with the Interim Executive Dean of Faculty of Environment Alan Haywood. The two sides held discussions on the university’s geothermal heating project implemented on campus, interdisciplinary collaboration and the implementation of low-carbon technologies, laid the foundation for cooperation in research innovation and energy transition. Both parties reached a consensus to further deepen comprehensive cooperation in research and industrial application through the platform of educational collaboration, continuously injecting new momentum into the achievement of sustainable development goals.

On November 27, the delegation visited the UCL Energy Institute and met with Director Catalina Spataru, further refined pathways for expanding cooperation in low-carbon technologies, urban resilience and circular economy. They agreed to start with seed funding and gradually scale up collaboration through joint research initiatives and talent exchange, advance scientific research collaboration in depth, thus to lay the groundwork for joint laboratory development, collaborative application for major research grants, and foreign expert programs.

That afternoon, the delegation also visited the Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, the institute integrates design with engineering, employs systematic approaches to innovate the training of engineers. The two sides will focus on student activities project and research collaboration, plan to host bilateral summer schools in July 2026 with a focus on low-carbon and system design. With strong alignment in the philosophy of interdisciplinary research and integrated academic approaches, both institutions aim to take carbon neutrality and sustainable development as the key breakthrough areas to strengthen their partnerships.

On November 28, the delegation visited the University of Edinburgh, where Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Science and Engineering Iain Gordon attended the meeting. The two sides renewed their institutional cooperation agreement as well as the memorandum of agreement on dual master’s degree program, ushering in a new era of strategic partnership. Both parties engaged in in-depth discussions on cooperation in jointly supervised PhD programs, dual-degree master's programs and the development of joint research projects.

During the visit, the delegation also held cordial exchanges with LCC alumni studying in the UK, conveying the college's warm regards and uniting the strength of alumni community. This further reinforced the emotional bonds and resource sharing among faculty, students and alumni.

This visit closely aligning with the college’s international development strategy and the university’s 130th anniversary theme, the delegation reached cooperative agreements with multiple world-renowned universities and a series of achievements. Moving forward, LCC will continue to deepen mutual trust and collaboration with key international partners, by leveraging high-level joint research and international talent training as the connecting link, contributing low-carbon wisdom to serving the national and university strategies on the leading country in education and technology.