On the afternoon of January 6, a delegation of four led by Ursula Kilkelly, Vice President of University College Cork (UCC), Ireland, visited Beijing Normal University (BNU). Vice President Chen Xing met with the delegation, with representatives from the Office of Development and Planning and the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation of BNU also attending the meeting.

Vice President Chen Xing extended a warm welcome to Vice President Kilkelly and her delegation, and provided a comprehensive overview of BNU’s history and strengths. He noted that the two universities share broad prospects for cooperation across multiple fields, and expressed hope that the visit would serve as an opportunity to further enhance mutual understanding, focus on complementary disciplinary strengths, and explore in depth potential collaboration in areas such as talent cultivation, research cooperation, and faculty and student exchanges.

Vice President Kilkelly expressed her appreciation for the warm hospitality extended by BNU and introduced the educational strengths and distinctive academic disciplines of UCC. She noted that, as a renowned comprehensive research university, UCC has long attached great importance to friendly exchange and cooperation with Chinese universities, and expressed her expectation to work with BNU to initiate substantive collaboration in key areas such as talent development and research cooperation.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on prospective areas and modalities of cooperation, laying a solid foundation for advancing future collaborative initiatives.