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The Vice-Chancellor of The University of Nottingham is in China this week as a member of the Prime Minister’s business delegation to Beijing.
Professor David Greenaway is a member of David Cameron’s independent advisory team on a high-level visit to discuss the growing commercial, investment and research links between the UK and China.
Members of the delegation will meet the Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao, at a UK-China Summit due to take place in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Other Cabinet Ministers involved in the three-day visit include George Osborne, Vince Cable, Michael Gove and Chris Huhne.
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Professor Greenaway’s role in the delegation reflects The University of Nottingham’s strong and well-developed links with the People’s Republic — it was the first foreign university in the world to establish a campus in mainland China, with the opening of The University of Nottingham Ningbo China in 2004.
Other participants include the chief executives of Alliance Boots, Shell, Standard Life and Diageo, the President of Rolls Royce, the Chairman of Whitbread and Group Chairman of Barclays.
Professor Greenaway said: “This is the Prime Minister’s first visit to China since taking office and I am delighted to be part of his delegation.
“My involvement signals the importance Government attaches to higher education’s role in building commercial and cultural links with China. The programme will offer excellent opportunities to develop further our existing partnerships as well as developing new ones.”
Events scheduled into the visit include an education summit and a roundtable meeting on opportunities and challenges for UK-China research collaboration. The University of Nottingham has developed extensive links and research collaborations in the world’s most dynamic economy over the last six years, leveraging its unique position as China’s first Sino-foreign university.
It was recently awarded the prestigious status of ‘International Co-operation Base’ by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, a national designation only made to universities and companies who have had significant success in terms of international research collaborations.
Strategic alliances with elite Chinese partners include clean energy, green manufacturing, biomaterials, geomechanics and low-carbon vehicles.
Professor Greenaway, an economist, was appointed to the government’s Asia Task Force earlier this year. The Task Force brings together experts from industry, education and government to advise on boosting UK exports and investment in Asian countries.
Professor Greenaway has also held a number of other prominent public service roles. He was Chairman of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body from 2004-2010, and a member from 1998-2004. The Body provides independent advice to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet on levels of pay, benefits and charges for members of the UK’s armed forces.
He has also acted as a consultant to the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Commission, the United Nations, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and HM Treasury.