On November 28th, President Irene Tracey of the University of Oxford led a delegation to visit Nankai University. President Chen Yulu of Nankai University met with the guests at the Haibing Building on the Balitai Campus. Attendees included Cao Xuetao, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and former President of Nankai University; Chen Jun, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Executive Vice President of Nankai University; Zhang Wenzhong, Lifetime Trustee of Nankai University, Founder of Wumart Group and Dmall; Wen Biao, Trustee of Nankai University, Executive Chairman and Secretary-General of the Nankai Alumni Entrepreneurs Association; and Liu Deyu, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Wumart Group.

President Chen Yulu welcomed the arrival of President Tracey and her delegation, reviewing the friendly cooperation history between the two universities. He pointed out that the University of Oxford has been a crucial cross-century partner of Nankai University, and Nankai highly values its cooperative relationship with Oxford. In recent years, both sides have achieved a series of practical results in academic exchanges, faculty and student visits, and joint research, which have not only enriched the connotations of cooperation between the two universities but also laid a solid foundation for broader and deeper collaborations. In the future, he hoped that both sides could continue and deepen their cooperative friendship, further solidify the foundation for cooperation in advantageous disciplines, and promote multi-level cooperation and exchanges through platforms such as the NKU-Oxford Wenzhong Scholarship Program, assisting Sino-British higher education cooperation in yielding more fruitful results and jointly cultivating composite talents capable of addressing future challenges for the world.

President Tracey expressed gratitude for the warm reception at Nankai University and stated that Nankai, as a world-renowned institution of higher learning, possesses outstanding teaching and research capabilities in multiple key disciplines and has made significant contributions to China's development. The University of Oxford is willing to continue building multi-field, high-level exchange bridges with Nankai University, leveraging their respective disciplinary strengths to deepen practical cooperation and promote win-win development. In the next stage, the University of Oxford will continue to support the NKU-Oxford Wenzhong Scholarship Program and looks forward to expanding broader areas of cooperation with Nankai University, working hand in hand on scientific research innovation and talent cultivation.

After the talks, the signing ceremony for the NKU-Oxford Scholarship Framework Agreement was held. Chen Jun and Liu Deyu signed the agreement on behalf of both sides. According to the agreement, three alumni, Zhang Wenzhong, Lifetime Trustee of Nankai University, CEO of Womart Investment and Vice Chairman of the Foundation; Zhou Haibing, Senior Trustee of Nankai University and CEO of Womart Investment; and Zhao Jun, Senior Trustee of Nankai University, Co-Chairman of the Nankai Alumni Entrepreneurs Association, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Springwater Investment, and Chairman of the Nankai Beijing Alumni Association, will sponsor 20 outstanding Nankai students over the next five years to pursue four-year doctoral programs (research degrees) at the University of Oxford, with four students selected annually. The program focuses on supporting talent cultivation in disciplines such as life sciences, medicine, pharmacy, chemistry, energy materials, mathematics, regional and international cultural studies, history, economics, and law, further promoting academic exchanges between Nankai University and the University of Oxford, enhancing the international perspective of Nankai students, and assisting in cultivating composite talents with global competence.

On the same day, Prof. Tracey was invited to the Nankai University Foreign Expert Lecture Hall, where she engaged in in-depth interactions with Nankai faculty and students at the Shenshen Building on the Balitai Campus. The lecture was hosted by Prof. Chen Jun.

In his remarks, President Chen Yulu stated that the University of Oxford is a globally renowned institution of higher learning that has achieved remarkable accomplishments in both the humanities and social sciences as well as the natural sciences, cultivating countless outstanding talents and producing numerous groundbreaking studies that have shaped human progress. Nankai University and the University of Oxford have a long-standing and solid foundation for academic exchanges. As early as the 1940s, the two universities officially began recognizing each other's degrees. In recent years, the partnership between the two universities has continued to strengthen through signing cooperation memorandums, frequent faculty visits, and launching the NKU-Oxford Wenzhong Scholarship Program. President Tracey, with her outstanding academic achievements and visionary leadership, has injected new vitality into the development of the University of Oxford and will also open up a broader new chapter in the partnership between Oxford and Nankai. He looked forward to both universities working together to cultivate outstanding talents with a global perspective and jointly making greater contributions to peace, development, and the progress of human civilization.

Zhang Wenzhong reviewed President Tracey's academic career in his remarks. He pointed out that President Tracey's academic and professional development is deeply rooted in the rigorous traditions of the University of Oxford. She has long been committed to research on pain perception and anesthesia mechanisms, earning a distinguished academic reputation. Not only has she made crucial contributions to the University of Oxford's global leadership in neuroscience, but she has also driven innovation and development in related disciplines in the UK and internationally. The numerous important honors she has received fully recognize her outstanding research achievements, extensive international cooperation, and exceptional academic leadership. He anticipated that the lecture would bring new academic inspiration to Nankai faculty and students, broaden their international perspectives, and enhance Nankai University's influence on the international academic stage.

In her speech, President Tracey elaborated on the mission of higher education from the dual perspectives of a scientist and an educator. She pointed out that universities are not only places for cultivating professionals but also important platforms for shaping thinking and inspiring exploration. Using her own neuroscience research as an example, she emphasised that universities should continuously promote scientific research innovation and establish extensive international cooperation to address major scientific challenges and global issues. The University of Oxford has a profound cooperation heritage with Chinese universities, including Nankai University, and Chinese students have become the largest international student group at Oxford. President Tracey highly affirmed the significance of the NKU-Oxford Wenzhong Scholarship Program as a communication bridge. She encouraged Nankai students to cherish their university time, maintain a balance between learning and life, uphold kindness and mutual assistance, and have the courage to explore challenges. She stated that the University of Oxford would continue to deepen cooperation with Nankai University and other Chinese universities to jointly cultivate future leaders with a global perspective and a sense of responsibility.

During the interactive Q&A session, President Tracey engaged in in-depth discussions with Chinese and foreign students at Nankai on topics such as interdisciplinary learning, cross-cultural adaptation, and youth talent cultivation, as well as academic frontier issues.

In 2024, Nankai University and the University of Oxford jointly established the NKU-Oxford Wenzhong Scholarship Program to support outstanding Nankai students in pursuing advanced studies at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford. The program covers various forms such as four-year doctoral programs, one-year master's programs, and summer internships, funding disciplines including life sciences, medicine, pharmacy, chemistry, and mathematics. With the support of alumni like Zhang Wenzhong, the program has so far selected and sent five doctoral students and 11 summer internship students to study at the University of Oxford.

During the visit, the President and her delegation also watched a retrospective video of the NKU-Oxford Wenzhong Scholarship Program, showcasing the academic pursuits and growth experiences of Nankai students at the University of Oxford. They toured the Patriotism, Struggle, and Public Spirit: A Century of Nankai University's History exhibition. Before a display case, President Tracey paused for a long time, carefully observing a letter from the University of Oxford dated 1947. The letter acknowledged that the undergraduate graduates of seven Chinese universities, including Nankai University, had academic qualifications equivalent to those of Oxford graduates and could be admitted to further studies without examination. This precious archival material also served as a historical witness to the close cooperation between the two universities.

On the same day, President Tracey and her delegation also visited the Southwest Associated Universities Memorial, the Wenzhong Hall, and specifically paid tribute to the statue of Zhou Enlai, an outstanding alumnus of Nankai University and the founding Premier of the People's Republic of China, gaining a deeper understanding of the glorious history of Nankai University in fostering talents and forging ahead.

Relevant leaders from the International Cooperation and Exchange Office, Graduate School, School of Mathematical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, School of Chemistry, School of Life Sciences, and School of Medicine of Nankai University also participated in the activities.

President Tracey is an expert in anaesthesia neuroscience and has served as President of the University of Oxford since 2023. She previously held positions such as Dean of Merton College and Head of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Oxford. With outstanding achievements, she has been awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci).

Founded in 1167, the University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world and a globally renowned top-tier research university with a federal system of colleges. Renowned for its profound historical heritage and outstanding academic contributions, the university has cultivated numerous giants in science and the arts, as well as leaders in politics and business. It holds a lofty academic status and extensive global influence in multiple fields such as mathematics, physics, medicine, law, and business. (News origin: Nankai University, trans. on 1st December 2025)