On May 27, a delegation from Ghent University Global Campus visited the Weihai Campus. Xia Lidong, Vice President of the Weihai Campus, met with the delegation. Zhang Ning, Vice Dean of the Weihai Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, presided over the discussion session.
Xia Lidong extended a warm welcome to the delegation. He introduced the positioning, disciplinary structure, and achievements in international cooperation of the Weihai Campus. He highlighted the research foundation and international cooperation experience in interdisciplinary fields such as environmental science and sustainable development. Di Wu, Head of the Department of Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology at Ghent University Global Campus, shared the campus’s research achievements on green technology and environmental engineering. He outlined the development strategy of the Global Campus and expressed hopes for future multi-level, multi-field cooperation with Shandong University.
During the meeting, the two sides jointly held the plaque unveiling ceremony for the “International Joint Laboratory for Sustainable Science”. This laboratory transforms the strategic consensus of the memorandum into a concrete platform for cooperation. It marks significant step forward in collaboration between Chinese and Belgian universities in green and sustainable technology. The laboratory is jointly hosted by the Weihai Institute for Interdisciplinary Research of Shandong University and the Department of Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology at Ghent University Global Campus. The Business School and the Marine College of Shandong University serve as co-construction units.
During the exchange forum, scholars from both universities engaged in constructive dialogue on themes such as green technology, environmental governance, and sustainable development, jointly exploring key topics including mechanisms for research collaboration, faculty and student exchange programs, and models for joint platform development. Both sides agreed to leverage the Joint Laboratory as a platform to foster practical cooperation and jointly establish an international base for scientific research collaboration.
During their stay, the delegation also visited the teaching facilities and research laboratories of the Business School and the Marine College. Representatives from the International Office, the Business School, the Marine College, and the Weihai Institute for Interdisciplinary Research participated in the activities.
Ghent University, abbreviated as UGent, is a public research university in Belgium, a world-renowned top 100 university, ranked 169th in the 2025 QS World University Rankings. The Ghent University Global Campus is located in Songdo International Business District, Incheon Metropolitan City, South Korea, and is one of the key institutions within the “Songdo Global University Campus” (SGUC).
