Four-hundred-and-ten undergraduate students and 38 postgraduate students graduated with joint degrees from Lancaster University College at Beijing Jiaotong University (LUC at BJTU) in a ceremony held in Weihai, China on 22^nd June.

This graduation class of 2024 is the fifth graduation ceremony of undergraduates at LUC@BJTU and the first cohort of postgraduates to graduate after undertaking a two year programme.

The 2022-2023 academic year saw the introduction of postgraduate courses at LUC at BJTU with masters programmes in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, as well as Electronic and Communications Engineering now available.

Students received their joint degree from Vice-Chancellor Professor Andy Schofield alongside Director of International Research, Professor Kirk Semple and Academic Dean of LUC at BJTU, Professor David Higgitt.

This is the second time a Lancaster delegation has been able to attend the graduation ceremony in Weihai in person and during their visit to China also hosted an alumni event in Beijing and attended a series of meetings in with BJTU President Professor Yu Zujun and senior management.

At Lancaster University Bailrigg campus 72 students have travelled from BJTU Weihai and other universities in China to take part in Lancasters International Cultural Exchange through July. While here students will learn about British culture and society, visit local businesses, take part in community experiences, engage in problem-solving team challenges and take a two-night trip to London.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andy Schofield said: “It was a pleasure to be able to visit Weihai again after first visiting last year. Many congratulations to the students on their achievements, and my thanks to colleagues at BJTU for their hospitality for hosting a productive and positive visit.

“It is a pleasure to be hosting so many students from various universities at Lancaster over the summer including those currently visiting from BJTU”.

Professor Higgitt added: “The partnership between Lancaster and BJTU continues to grow with the addition, this year, of postgraduate courses. It was wonderful to welcome colleagues from Lancaster Bailrigg and to celebrate students achievements together”.

Lancaster was one of the first universities to establish relationships with China in the 1970s, with the first intake of LUC-BJTU students joining the campus in 2016.