A major academic delegation from China visited the University yesterday on a fact-finding trip as part of an exchange programme run by the British Academy.

The six-person delegation from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) was led by CASS Vice-President Mr Li Shenming.

They had a meeting with senior Cambridge academics at St John’s College before visiting some of Cambridge’s most famous attractions including King’s College Chapel. After a lunch hosted by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for International Strategy, Dr Kate Pretty, and Lord Wilson of Tillyorn, Master of Peterhouse and a former Governor of Hong Kong, the visit concluded with a tour of the Fitzwilliam Museum and its exhibition of 19th Century Chinese flower drawings, ‘Made For Export’.

CASS is the highest academic research organisation in the fields of philosophy and social sciences of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing. It is an institution of the State Council of China and was founded in 1977.

The Vice-President is a politically high-ranking figure with membership of the 10th Standing Committee and the Civil and Judicial Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress.

Dr Pretty said: “We were delighted to be able to welcome the CASS delegation. We are confident that existing links between the two of us will be strengthened, and that many other links will now arise.”

The University of Cambridge admits a large number of China’s most able young people to study subjects which will enable them to make a future contribution back in their home country. The University has a long history of partnership with China including many collaborative links with academics at Chinese universities.

The University’s two great enterprises, Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Assessment, have a significant presence in mainland China, the latter working with many provincial governments as well as the national government on the development of rigorous testing and examinations.

Cambridge Assessment has a special role in developing, with the British Council and the Ministry of Education, the ‘Beijing Speaks English’ e-learning programme in preparation for the Olympic Games.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, Professor Alison Richard, will visit Beijing in October this year.

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