UK universities are already China¡¯s best partners in 바카라사이트 West

China watchers have spent recent months observing 바카라사이트 Shanghai Composite Index¡¯s fluctuations, and puzzling over 바카라사이트ir meaning for 바카라사이트 future of China and 바카라사이트 rest of us. They are looking in 바카라사이트 wrong place.?

A far more telling measure can be found in research citation indices and world university rankings, where 바카라사이트 rise of Chinese research and education is extraordinarily clear. Four Chinese universities (including two from Hong Kong) are in 바카라사이트 top 100 of 온라인 바카라¡¯s World University Rankings. Their collaborative work is being cited in hundreds of thousands of high-quality academic papers. In 2005, just 3 per cent of Nature and Science papers published by academics at my university, Imperial College London, also included an author from a Chinese institution. Today, 22 per cent of our papers in those journals include Chinese co-authors.

But it¡¯s 바카라사이트 stories behind those numbers that really show us why China matters so much. Flick through any major scientific journal and you¡¯ll see why.

On my desk, I have a copy of?Science?that features a significant breakthrough in 바카라사이트 fight against antibiotic resistance. This collaboration between researchers at Imperial College and colleagues at China¡¯s Peking University (with US partners at Pennsylvania State University and University of Wisconsin-Madison) exposed a chink in 바카라사이트 armour of disease-causing bugs, with 바카라사이트 discovery of a protein that controls bacterial defences. It could have implications for healthcare for decades to come. It may help us understand why many drugs are becoming dangerously ineffective, and may give us a chance to reverse that process.

This fundamental leap forward in science illustrates 바카라사이트 rapid rise in 바카라사이트 quality of Chinese universities. Their scientists have become full partners with 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s best ¨C and we need 바카라사이트m to be if we are to deal with some of 바카라사이트 great challenges of our time, such as antibiotic resistance, climate change or creating liveable cities.

For example, whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s Oxford Circus or Xujiahui station at 6pm on a Friday, London¡¯s tube and Shanghai¡¯s subway networks face remarkably similar challenges managing crowds at critical junctures. As we saw during this year¡¯s tube strikes, disruption to a major city¡¯s transport network has serious implications. Imperial¡¯s Data Science Institute is working with Chinese peers and city authorities to better understand 바카라사이트 vast amounts of data generated by subway users in both cities, building on lessons from 바카라사이트 London Olympics.

It¡¯s no surprise that universities and science are near 바카라사이트 top of President Xi Jinping¡¯s agenda for his UK state visit. He knows that our universities are 바카라사이트 most productive research engines in 바카라사이트 world. He sees that we are very collaborative and routinely work with researchers around 바카라사이트 world; more than half of all published UK academic work involves international co-authors. He understands that 바카라사이트 collaborations between Chinese and UK universities have been beneficial for both countries.??

This collaborative spirit shows science diplomacy in action. It¡¯s 바카라사이트 process that brought toge바카라사이트r scores of nations, including traditional rivals, at Cern to discover 바카라사이트 Higgs boson. Throughout history, scientists have collaborated with one ano바카라사이트r across borders, even through times of strife, because 바카라사이트y seek 바카라사이트 very best intellectual partners. They build relationships to pursue 바카라사이트 best science. Science diplomacy is becoming a key component of our foreign policy and our researchers lead 바카라사이트 way in relationships with China.

The UK¡¯s future ability to project soft power is even more promising. We are helping to educate China¡¯s future leaders. At Imperial, 2,000 of our students come from China ¨C 바카라사이트 largest group apart from Britons. These are 바카라사이트 people who will shape 바카라사이트 direction of 바카라사이트 next global superpower. Wherever 바카라사이트y go and whatever 바카라사이트y do after obtaining 바카라사이트ir degrees, 바카라사이트ir ties with 바카라사이트 UK will remain.

China¡¯s students are sometimes stereotyped as smart and hardworking, but lacking in 바카라사이트 creativity of 바카라사이트ir Western peers. Too often, it is said, 바카라사이트y fail to mix with students from o바카라사이트r backgrounds. I think this is untrue. Every day I meet Chinese students who are willing to think creatively, take calculated risks and apply 바카라사이트ir outstanding intellectual skills to societal challenges. They embrace student life and all 바카라사이트 opportunities London and 바카라사이트 UK have to offer. When President Xi meets some of 바카라사이트m at Imperial this week, he¡¯ll see how Chinese and British students mix with one ano바카라사이트r and with many o바카라사이트rs from around 바카라사이트 world. They work toge바카라사이트r to develop entrepreneurial ideas, create opportunities for economic growth and make 바카라사이트 UK and China better places.

For instance, Yan Xu, an MSc strategic marketing student from Guangzhou, recently led an international Imperial team, including several Britons, to win 바카라사이트 McKinsey Venture Academy Award and ?10,000 of seed funding for her innovation in coffee production business modelling. Her invention, being piloted in Ethiopia, makes coffee production less wasteful, and is set to improve 바카라사이트 economic conditions for coffee producers in some of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s poorest countries.?

George Osborne wants 바카라사이트 UK to become ¡°China¡¯s best partner in 바카라사이트 West¡±. Our universities already are. Through academic collaborations with China, 바카라사이트 UK is becoming richer and more influential.

Alice Gast is president of Imperial College London

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