On April 9, 2026, a delegation led by Luc Taerwe, Member of the Royal Academy of Science and Arts of Belgium and Director of the East Asia Platform at Ghent University, visited Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School (PKU Shenzhen). The two sides held in-depth discussions on educational exchange and collaboration. Wang Tianbing, Vice Dean of PKU Shenzhen, met with the delegation.
Meeting Scene
Wang Tianbing welcomed the delegation on their first visit to PKU Shenzhen and introduced the institution's educational profile. He noted that PKU Shenzhen, as Peking University’s only off-campus academic entity outside its Beijing headquarters, has become a key frontier for higher education reform and internationalization after 25 years of development. Over the next five years, leveraging the Greater Bay Area and Shenzhen’s advantages, PKU Shenzhen will continue optimizing its discipline layout and strengthening English-taught programs around three core strategies: internationalization, AI for Science (AI4S), and technology transfer, providing strong support for global scholars and students.
Luc Taerwe praised PKU Shenzhen’s progress and shared Ghent University’s distinctive strengths and its collaboration with China through the East Asia Platform. He noted that Ghent has over 40 years of partnership history with Chinese universities, currently maintaining more than 100 active agreements, 13 joint labs, and hosting over 1,000 Chinese students and scholars annually. He expressed hope for tangible cooperation with PKU Shenzhen in relevant fields.
Remarks by Wang Tianbing and Luc Taerwe
During the discussion, the two sides reached preliminary consensus on student exchanges, joint master’s and doctoral programs, and collaborative research. Both agreed that, given the strong foundation of cooperation between Ghent University and Peking University at the headquarters level, this direct dialogue with PKU Shenzhen will further expand collaboration opportunities in the Greater Bay Area.
Group Photo
After the meeting, the delegation toured relevant laboratories.
Heads of relevant PKU Shenzhen administrative departments and faculty representatives attended the events.
It is noted that Ghent University, founded in 1817, is a top comprehensive research university in Belgium, ranked 2nd in Belgium in the 2026 QS World University Rankings, with strengths in life sciences, engineering, and biotechnology. The university places high importance on cooperation with China, establishing the East Asia Platform in 2006 and a Beijing representative office in 2008 to systematically promote academic exchanges and joint research with Chinese institutions.
