Professor Lars Johanning comments during panel session on the importance of the UK-China-Belt and Road Initiative 

New partnership to educating next generation of offshore renewable energy leaders

The University of Exeter is a key member of a new international partnership initiative designed to boost multilateral education partnerships to pioneer new developments addressing global challenges.

The scheme, called the UK-China-Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Countries Education Partnership Initiative is the first multi-lateral education collaboration programme designed in partnership with the British Council and Ministry of Education.

The funding, given by the British Council and the Ministry of Education in China, is awarded to boost education partnerships and deepen collaboration between UK, China, ASEAN and African countries.

Six winning proposals will benefit from an initial £420,000 investment that were selected from over 100 global applications, in which institutions had to demonstrate the mutual benefit collaborations would bring in the areas of innovation and international collaboration growth, especially in areas of common interest. Successful projects will cover studies in healthcare, policing education, food safety, manufacturing, renewable energy and global leadership transformation.

The University of Exeter, in partnership with the Dalian University of Technology in China, and De La Salle University in the Philippines, has received seed funding investment to bolster quality education and building collaborative education partnerships globally, generating the next generation of global leaders in the pivotal field of offshore renewable energy.

As part of the collaboration, the researchers will develop an international joint MSc programme in offshore renewable energy, which will be jointly run at Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall, Dalian University of Technology campus in China and the De La Salle University campus in the Philippines. After an initial initiation programme first students are expected to receive a joint degree in 2022.

Professor Lars Johanning, lead academic from Exeter on the Joint Offshore Energy Engineering and Innovation Partnership, said:  “Educating the next generation of global leaders in Offshore Renewable Energy will accelerate research, development and innovations and consequently contribute to global energy security, reduction of carbon emission and a prosperous future in a clean environment.”

Carma Elliot, Director British Council, China said: The UK has a reputation for quality education and building collaborative education partnerships globally. This programme will help further this reputation by connecting more UK institutions to international opportunities; especially those materialising in China and amongst Belt and Road Initiative countries. Solving global challenges requires the brightest minds from across the world coming together, showing how education is not confined to national borders.  The projects announced reinforce our commitment to enhancing the UK's excellence in education and innovation at home and around the world."

Date: 5 June 2019