Professor Richard A Williams OBE, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, has been appointed Guest Professor at Southeast University in Nanjing in acknowledgement of his work on energy policy and technology.

Southeast University (SEU) is one of the national key universities administered directly under the Central Government and the Ministry of Education of China. It is also one of the universities of Project 211 and Program 985 that is financed by the Central Government to build as a world-class university. With engineering at its focus, Southeast University is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in China and has become a comprehensive and research-oriented university featuring the coordinated development of multi-disciplinary approaches in science.

Famous Birmingham alumnus, Li Siguang, was president of the Institution in 1932 and the University has extensive links to Southeast University particularly in the areas of engineering and science. The universities have agreed to develop strategic collaborations on both research and teaching and a joint MSc programme in Electrical Power Systems is being developed and it is anticipated that the first cohort of students from Southeast University will come to Birmingham in September 2015.

Professor Williams is also Chair of the Birmingham China Institute, which brings together the University of Birmingham’s extensive academic activities in China, a history of collaboration which dates back almost to the foundation of the University.

Professor Williams said of his appointment: 

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I am delighted to have been appointed a Guest Professor at Southeast University, an institution with a proud history and an exciting future. This appointment recognises not only my own, but the University’s continued interest and investment in China as one of our key partners as we seek to understand more about the societal issues around energy and technology.

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Image caption: Professor Yaopu Pu, Vice President of Southeast University presents the appointment certificate of Guest Professorship to Professor Richard A Williams.