On April 23, 2024, Orla Feely, the President of University College Dublin in Ireland, led a delegation to our university and paid a visit to GDIC.
Party Secretary Shao Jiasheng, Dean Feng Lixin, and Vice Dean Hao Gang accompanied President Orla Feely on a visit to the school's achievements exhibition, inspection of the school's premises and teaching facilities, engagement in a meeting with students, as well as participation in two meetings with student representatives and teachers from University College Dublin respectively. This allowed for an in-depth understanding of student learning experiences and insights into the teaching and academic life of UCD teachers.
Feng Lixin warmly welcomed Orla Feely's visit on behalf of all the teachers and students of GDIC, and also hosted the meeting. During the meeting, Orla Feely provided an overview of the construction, planning, and international development initiatives at University College Dublin, expressing gratitude for the university's strong support over the past four years. Congratulations were extended for the distinctive characteristics and outstanding achievements in the College’s Sino-foreign cooperative education.
Orla Feely highlighted that the establishment of GDIC represents a significant milestone in the two schools' efforts to advance their internationalization strategy. The educational quality and social impact has continuously enhanced year after year. The first cohort of GDIC students are graduating this year and she is delighted to witness students thriving within this distinctive platform for international learning and achievement. Notably, numerous students have successfully pursued postgraduate studies at prestigious institutions both domestically and internationally—a testament to the fruitful outcomes stemming from a decade of deepened educational exchanges and collaboration between our two universities, as well as our unwavering commitment to fostering integration, innovation, collaborative education, and high-quality development within Sino-foreign cooperative education.
Orla Feely emphasized University College Dublin's commitment to nurturing a long-term, collaborative partnership with our university. She expressed keen interest in the development of GDIC and underscored the significance of alumni engagement. University College Dublin will continue to fortify, broaden, and deepen collaboration and exchanges with our institution through leveraging the platform provided by Dublin International College Guangzhou. This endeavor aims to foster an elevated and high-quality framework for Sino-foreign educational cooperation across teaching, research, and other domains.
Orla Feely extends her congratulations to the first cohort of graduates of the two universities and encourages them to embrace an international perspective, uphold the esteemed traditions of their alma maters, demonstrate a passion for knowledge and innovation, and strive to develop into highly skilled global innovators with a strong professional foundation, innovative mindset, and social responsibility.
The visit was attended by Paul Fanning, Dean and Provost of the China International Institute at University College Dublin; Gavin Chaw, Director of the China Division/Global Centre; and Eve Brosseau, Assistant Director of Global Relations and Partnerships at University College Dublin. Heads from Office of International Relations and relevant departments of GDIC also participated in the events.
