On July 7, 2025, Professor Amalia Di Iorio, Vice Chancellor of La Trobe University, Australia, led a delegation to visit Chengdu University of Technology (CDUT). Professor Hou Mingcai, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party and Vice President of CDUT, met with the delegation for an in-depth exchange on bilateral cooperation. Representatives from the Department of International Exchanges & Cooperation, College of International Education, College of Computer and Cyber Security, College of Foreign Languages and Cultures, School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Business School, College of Communication Science and Art, School of Mathematical Sciences, and School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering also participated in the discussion. Following the meeting, the two universities formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), marking a new stage of practical collaboration.
Meeting in progress
Vice President Hou Mingcai extended a warm welcome to the delegation. He noted that the two universities have complementary disciplinary strengths and expressed hope that this visit would serve as a catalyst for expanding substantive, interdisciplinary cooperation. Highlighting the sister-city relationship between Chengdu and Melbourne, Hou invited La Trobe University to join the Chengdu International Sister Cities Higher Education Institutions Alliance, for which CDUT currently serves as the rotating chair, to further promote collaborative development among sister-city universities.
Professor Amalia Di Iorio expressed her sincere gratitude for the warm reception and invitation. She remarked that the previous exchanges between the two universities had already yielded fruitful outcomes and that there was great potential for further collaboration. She hoped the signing of the MOU would lay a solid foundation for deepening all-round, multi-level exchanges and advancing concrete cooperative initiatives in the near future.
Ms. Chen Weimiao, Director of Education Services at the Victorian Government’s Trade and Investment Office, highlighted Victoria’s robust higher education resources and the global reputation of its universities. She reaffirmed the Victorian Government’s support for the practical cooperation between CDUT and La Trobe University and its commitment to promoting cultural and educational exchanges between China and Australia.
During the meeting, representatives from the participating colleges explored potential areas of collaboration based on their respective disciplinary strengths. Discussions focused on joint talent cultivation, collaborative research, internships, and training programs. Consensus was reached on several key initiatives, including joint undergraduate programs, integrated bachelor-master pathways, student exchange programs, short-term internships, and credit-based courses.
After the discussions, CDUT and La Trobe University held an inter-university signing ceremony. Professor Hou Mingcai and Professor Amalia Di Iorio officially signed the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of their respective institutions. The signing represents a key milestone in CDUT’s ongoing internationalization strategy and its efforts to build a global network of high-level partners. Both sides expressed a strong commitment to implementing the agreed-upon initiatives swiftly, fostering mutual benefit and high-quality development, and contributing to the broader China-Australia educational and cultural exchange.
Signing Ceremony
Founded in 1967, La Trobe University is one of the largest and fastest-growing comprehensive public research universities in Victoria. In the 2025 QS World University Rankings, it ranked 217th globally, with strong performance in health sciences, engineering, humanities, and social sciences. Its archaeology program has ranked in the global top 100 for nine consecutive years, and 14 disciplines—including law, linguistics, education, and medicine—are ranked among the global top 250. In 2025, as the rotating chair of the Chengdu International Sister Cities Higher Education Institutions Alliance, CDUT engaged in fruitful exchanges and reciprocal visits with La Trobe University, with strong support from the Chengdu Foreign Affairs Office, Chengdu People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and the Government of Victoria, Australia.
