Nottingham to lead new Sino-UK research venture

A pioneering new centre will train the researchers of the future — and help to deepen links between the UK and China. The University of Nottingham, UK and its pioneering Campus in China, The University of Nottingham Ningbo China, are to open an International Doctoral Innovation Centre (IDIC) spanning both countries, to train 100 of the brightest young PhD researchers over the next six years. They will become future leaders in the fields of energy and digital technologies, helping to develop innovative solutions that will address major global challenges. A formal agreement marking the founding of the IDIC was signed on September 17th, at a major event at the Ningbo Exhibition Centre chaired by the Mayor of Ningbo. The £17m IDIC is a pioneering development in international doctoral training because it will cross national boundaries — with the four-year PhD course split between the University's campuses in China and the UK. Postgraduate training will be combined with exposure to industry and entrepreneurship on an international scale. It will establish long-term co-operation between leading UK and Chinese universities and industry, and provide a substantive platform for developing collaborative research and knowledge transfer activities between the two nations.