On June 15, the Aberdeen Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence successfully hosted a series of events at SCNU Foshan campus. The core activities covered the Signing Ceremony for Deepening Cooperation between SCNU and UoA, the UoA Graduation Ceremony 2026 for Aberdeen Institute, and the Strategic Symposium on High-Quality Development of Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education at SCNU.
Representatives from the Department of Education of Guangdong Province, the Foshan Municipal Government, Foshan Municipal Education Bureau, Nanhai District Education Bureau, the University of Aberdeen, South China Normal University and relevant departments and schools, experts and scholars from other institutions, faculty members as well as graduates and their parents attended the events.
Signing Ceremony for Deepening Cooperation between South China Normal University and the University of Aberdeen
Wang Chunchao, Vice President of SCNU, delivered remarks while presiding over the signing ceremony. As SCNU’s first Sino-foreign joint institute, Aberdeen Institute has achieved remarkable milestones upon completion of its first talent cultivation cycle. It has obtained official approval from the Ministry of Education to launch postgraduate and doctoral programs, passed the quality evaluation of Sino-foreign cooperative education by the Ministry of Education, and achieved an overall further study rate of 71% and 73% respectively for its first two graduate cohorts. Backed by sound performance, Aberdeen Institute has been steadily growing into a benchmark in the field of Sino-foreign cooperative education within the province and nationwide.
Xu Shimin, Deputy Director General of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province, noted that Guangdong Province has always attached great importance to international exchanges and cooperation in education, and has been promoting high-level educational opening-up. He expressed his hope that the two universities would take this signing ceremony as a new starting point to cooperate jointly in three aspects: setting a benchmark for high-quality development of Sino-foreign cooperative education, advancing cultural exchanges between the UK and China, empowering the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Aberdeen Institute shall align with industrial demands in Guangdong and Foshan, deepen industry-academia-research integration, cultivate talents and produce high-level research achievements, so as to fuel local social and economic development.
Xu Wei, Vice Mayor of Foshan Municipal Government, stated that Foshan is committed to building a new Foshan city and accelerating its transformation from a major manufacturing city to a strong intelligent manufacturing hub. Foshan will continue supporting the development of Aberdeen Institute as well as SCNU Foshan Campus, and expects the university to further integrate its development into the city’s overall development.
Wang Hengyin (Chairman of University Council of SCNU) and Peter Edwards(Principal and Vice-Chancellor of UoA) signed the agreement on deepening cooperation on behalf of the two universities.
University of Aberdeen Graduation Ceremony 2026 for Aberdeen Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
Peter Edwards presided over the 2026 graduation ceremony, and congratulated the 247 graduates on being conferred University of Aberdeen degrees.
Wang Hengyin remarked that the two universities jointly uphold openness, complementary strengths and collaborative education, pioneering innovative international training models for artificial intelligence professionals. He encouraged graduates to cultivate patriotism, align personal aspirations with national development, sharpen professional expertise for technological innovations, broaden global vision while maintaining cultural confidence, and tell Chinese stories to demonstrate the spirit of Chinese youth.
Wang Chunchao presented appointment certificates to SCNU Alumni Liaison Ambassadors, encouraging them to stay true to their original aspirations, pursue dreams with professional capabilities, and maintain close ties with the institute and the university.
Zhan Shiquan, outstanding graduate representative, shared his experiences of academic study, internship and further study. He also expressed sincere gratitude to Aberdeen Institute, all faculty members, his family and fellow students for their consistent support throughout his studies.
In the closing remarks, David McGloin commended the transformative growth brought by the Sino-UK joint education model, and encouraged graduates to uphold integrity and commitment to strive for future academic and career achievements.
Strategic Symposium on High-Quality Development of Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education at SCNU
Aberdeen Institute hosted a Strategic Symposium on High-Quality Development of Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education at SCNU. Combining the institute’s current status and its development goal, the symposium discussed core topics and sought strategic guidance.
Key topics included operation mechanism, education integration, quality assurance, resource coordination, etc. Representatives from the Department of Education of Guangdong Province and both universities, experts and scholars from other institutions exchanged ideas and shared insightful thoughts.
Five years of steady and sound development showcase the growth of Aberdeen Institute. The fifth-anniversary events review its achievements and mark the opening of a brand-new chapter.. Moving forward, Aberdeen Institute will adhere to its mission of Sino-foreign cooperative education, prioritize emerging engineering talent cultivation, and deepen Sino-UK collaborative teaching and research to bolster national educational opening-up and high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Aberdeen Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence obtained approval from the Ministry of Education on May 18, 2021. As the first Sino-foreign joint institute in China offering an undergraduate programme in artificial intelligence, Aberdeen Institute represents both as a landmark achievement in Sino-UK educational collaboration and as a distinctive embodiment of SCNU’s commitment to high-level international education. In November 2025, the Ministry of Education approved Aberdeen Institute to launch master’s and doctoral programmes. It becomes a non-independent-legal-entity joint institute with a complete undergraduate-to-doctoral education pathway, thereby laying a solid foundation for cultivating high-level international and innovative talents for the country.
Translated by Qian Xiaozhen
Proofread by Qian Xiaozhen, Zhong Nan, Hu Yiting, Chen Huan