Newton expands upon Chinese science links started by the Queen

The UK and China have a long history of collaboration in science. The Newton Fund is taking this to a broader spectrum by supporting both leading researchers that have worked with the UK for decades and young researchers who are working with the UK for the first time.

Professor Yong-guan Zhu, the Director General of Institute of Urban Environment of CAS (IUE), partnering with University of Sheffield, is the grant holder of one of major collaborative UK-China research programme under the Newton Fund. Their research will help China to use critical zone science to enhance soil fertility and sustain ecosystem services for peri-urban agriculture and therefore to address environmental problems induced by rapid urbanization processes, and to promote sustainable development of cities in China.

On 20 May Ms Holly White, Counsellor Science and Innovation, and Ms Ming Liu, Head of SIN Guangzhou visited Prof. Zhu. The talk was very interesting and we were amazed to find Prof. Zhu’s career development has been tied closely with the growth of UK-China’s relationship in science. According to Prof. Zhu, his first international collaboration was opened by HM the Queen after she paid her first visit to China in 1986 and  initiated the Royal Society – CAS exchange program. Prof. Zhu was awarded this program in 1993 and embarked on his international academic career in the UK. Since then Prof Zhu has spent a lot of time working in the UK, USA and Australia, and developed into a leading Chinese scientist in environment. He has witnessed the UK-China partnership growing from a seed like the small exchange scheme and now blossoming out to a £200m UK- China partnership fund in Science and innovation (the Newton Fund). 30 years after the visit of the Queen, Newton has carried this long standing relationship into a strategically higher level and made a strong push to build tangible and concrete international research on the ground of China. Newton has brought the UK’s experts to work with Chinese researchers to tackle the problems in China. Prof. Zhu commented without Newton, it would be very difficult to do joint research in China and for China.

Newton is not only featured by the top researchers, but also provides Chinese young researchers with direct international academic connections. “The Newton projects have made young research members easier to build the connection with the UK partners, without necessarily doing the research in a foreign country.” said Prof Zhu. This opinion is also echoed by the Newton Advanced Fellow Prof. Wei-shi Zheng. His team is using the fastest computer in the world (Tianhe No.2 located in Guangzhou) to push the boundaries in visual recognition with application to counter-terrorism and kidnapping. Prof Zheng was delighted to tell Mr Richard Baker, Newton Fund Strategic Manager China that the Newton project has enabled his team to work with the UK partners without leaving their own university while still enjoying international expertise and access to international community.

Both Newton awardees are impressed by the UK’s manner of doing research. In tradition, Chinese young researchers are taught by textbooks. In comparison the UK partners are always encouraged to ask critical and challenging questions. The UK’s research culture has brought invisible but strong impact to Chinese researchers to push them think differently. By 2050 China aims to become one of the world leading nations in science and technology, therefore innovative minds will be the most needed in China’s innovation driven development strategy. Newton is offering China not only joint projects, but also the exchange of innovative minds and culture.