From May 8 to 15, 2025, Prof. Song Gao, President of Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU), led a delegation to Spain and Sweden for academic exchanges, aiming to promote multi-disciplinary collaborations between SYSU and leading universities in those countries and to further expand the university’s global partnership network.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Spain. On May 9, the delegation kicked off its visit to the Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies of Materials (IMDEA Materials), where they held talks with Professor Jose Manuel Torralba, Scientific Director of the institute, Professor Javier LLorca, Chair of the Scientific Committee, and other representatives. Discussions focused on strengthening industry-academia-research collaboration and joint talent cultivation, with both sides exchanging insights and sharing the latest research achievements in the field of materials science. The visit concluded with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deepen inter-university cooperation.

The two parties sign a memorandum of understanding.

Then, the delegation proceeded to Complutense University of Madrid, one of the oldest universities in Spain and across Europe. Vice Rectors Professor Miguel Angel Sastre Castillo and Professor Natalia Abuin, along with heads of relevant departments, engaged in discussions with the delegation. Both sides exchanged updates on academic discipline development, talent cultivation, and international cooperation, and agreed in principle to advance the signing of an inter-university framework agreement. During the talks, Prof. Song Gao highlighted the strong similarities between the two institutions, expressing hope that they would deepen multi-field collaboration around their respective academic strengths, and enchance future exchanges.

The delegation engages in discussions with representatives of Complutense University of Madrid.

2025 also marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Sweden. In Stockholm, the delegation visited the Karolinska Institute, a renowned medical school in Sweden and a long-standing partner of SYSU. The delegation met with researchers of the Institute, including Professor Ingemar Ernberg, Senior Professor of tumor biology, Department of Microbiology,Tumor and Cell Biology, Professor Cao Yihai, Foreign Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Professor Pan Qiang, Academician of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and other representatives. The talks focused on fostering joint research initiatives in cutting-edge fields such as tumor immunology, where both sides expressed strong enthusiasm for addressing unmet medical needs through collaborative innovation.

The delegation also visited KTH Royal Institute of Technology, recognized as Sweden's most prestigious technical university. During the visit, they met with Professor Mikael Lindstr?m, Deputy President, Professor Stefan ?stlund, Vice President for International Affairs, and representatives from the Department of Physics, Division of Nuclear Science & Engineering. Both sides exchanged insights into their institutions' educational features and academic strengths Prof. Song Gao stated that SYSU has always regarded KTH as one of its most important strategic partners in Northern Europe, expressing the expectation to further expand cooperation in existing areas and provide broader academic exchange opportunities for students.

During his visit to Sweden, Prof. Song Gao and his delegation met with Cui Aimin, China's ambassador to Sweden, at the Chinese Embassy in Sweden. Ambassador Cui briefed the delegation on the current state of China-Sweden relations and the development of higher education in Sweden, expressing continued support for deeper cooperation and exchanges between the university and Swedish institutions.

The delegation visits the Chinese Embassy in Sweden.

During the trip, Prof. Song Gao also attended the Talent Networking Event held in Stockholm, Sweden, and engaged in in-depth discussions with over 60 young scholars, extending an invitation to join SYSU.

China will promote the number of French students studying in China to exceed 10,000 in the next three years, and double the scale of European youth exchanges in China, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in May 2024.

Through its recent visit to Spain and Sweden, SYSU has consolidated and expanded its partnerships with relevant universities and institutions in both countries, further strengthening the groundwork for implementing the initiative.

Moving forward, the university will leverage the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s development as an international science and innovation hub, continuously expanding its high-level cooperation network in Europe through substantive measures.