Nottingham’s links to China have been strengthened with a tribute to one of its most famous writers.

Barbara Woodward CMG OBE, HM Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, visited The University of Nottingham Ningbo Campus on Thursday (May 12 2016) where she officially opened the DH Lawrence Auditorium. The ambassador met with students and staff, including Provost Professor Chris Rudd, to find out more about life at the University which is home to 7,000 students studying for British degrees.

Upon officially naming the Auditorium with a lecture open to members of the public, students and staff, she talked about her memories of The University of Nottingham Ningbo being established and said she had followed it with interest.

She said: “The University of Nottingham Ningbo China is the first university anywhere in the world to establish a joint campus in China. Nottingham’s One Bridge approach sees talent, ideas, opportunities and creativity flow between Nottingham and Ningbo. The burgeoning relationship between these two cities will be of great benefit to the new Midlands Engine for Growth. Our flourishing UK-China government relationship provides an important foundation. Building on this, students and universities provide an exchange of ideas, culture and creativity that is at the heart of the new ‘Golden Era’ of UK-China relations.”

Professor Sir David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor of The University of Nottingham, said: “We are delighted the University is able to welcome the Ambassador to mark the extraordinary progress our pioneering campus in Ningbo has made in forging relationships with China over the last decade. Nottingham is perfectly-placed to take advantage of what President Xi Jinping has called ‘a new Golden Era for UK-China relations’, with the University providing a bridge between Ningbo and Nottingham – with talent, ideas and creative exchange flowing across in both directions. The naming of the DH Lawrence Auditorium is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the City’s most famous literary figure, Nottingham’s accolade in being designated a UNESCO City of Literature and the enduring power of culture and heritage to transcend national borders.”

The new technologically sophisticated Auditorium, which can seat 1,000 people, will provide more teaching and learning space for students at the campus. It is named after Lawrence who was a miner’s son from Eastwood, Nottingham, but went on to become one of the biggest writers of the 20th century. His most famous works include Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Sons and Lovers and The Rainbow. Lawrence was a student at the former Nottingham University College, which later became The University of Nottingham, between 1906 and 1908.