Lingnan University and Renmin University of China sign agreement to strengthen academic collaborations in the discipline of psychology

3 Feb 2015

 
 

Lingnan University’s Department of Applied Psychology and Renmin University of China’s Department of Psychology signed a partnership agreement on 2 February with the aim to strengthen mutual academic collaborations in the coming five years.

The partnership agreement was signed at a ceremony held at Lingnan University by Prof Siu Oi-ling, Head of Lingnan University’s Department of Applied Psychology and Prof James Sun Jianmin, Head of Renmin University of China’s Department of Psychology. Prof Leonard K Cheng, President and Prof Wei Xiangdong, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences of Lingnan University also attended the ceremony to witness the signing of the agreement.

In his address at the ceremony, President Cheng pointed out that “Lingnan University has an outstanding Faculty of Social Sciences with satisfactory evaluation being received in the results of the Research Assessment Exercise 2014 announced recently. I hope this collaboration can bring positive impact to the academic research and teaching of the psychology departments of both universities, and let both parties maintain a close and fruitful relationship in future.”

On the other hand, Prof Sun said “Renmin University of China and Lingnan University have many things in common, in particular both are dedicated to liberal arts education. Currently there are already a number of exchange and cooperation projects between the two universities, and the signing of the partnership agreement between their psychology departments will further deepen their mutual collaboration.” He expected that the agreement will bring more cooperation and exchange between the two departments and create positive impact to academic and teaching activities in the Greater China Region.

Under the partnership agreement, the two departments agree to: 

  • promote student and staff exchanges for participation in activities of education, research and professional development;
  • invite research and teaching staff from the partner Department to organise or participate in academic and scientific meetings such as seminars, conferences, internships and workshops; and
  • explore needs and ways of setting up joint programmes such as admitting suitable undergraduate and graduate students of the partner department for a period of training or research.

To mark the beginning of their strengthened collaboration, the two departments co-organised the “Inaugural Symposium on Applied, Experimental and Cultural-social Psychology” the next day (3 February) after the partnership agreement was signed. Following the opening remarks by Prof Siu Oi-ling, academics from the two departments including Lingnan University’s Associate Professor Francis Cheung Yue-lok and Assistant Professor Simon Li Yau-wai, and Renmin University of China’s Professor James Sun Jianmin, Professor Hu Ping, Professor Zhang Qingfang, Associate Professor Xing Cai and Assistant Professor Li Yingwu shared their insights on the subject through presentations and in-depth discussions.