The University of Nottingham has paid tribute to the achievements of one of China’s oldest and most prestigious universities.

As part of celebrations for the 120th anniversary of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), the Vice-Chancellor of The University of Nottingham, Professor Sir David Greenaway, was invited to address a Grand Assembly.

In his speech, delivered to more than 5,000 invited guests, he spoke of transnational collaboration, re-enforcing the bridge between East and West, as well as drawing links between the two universities.

He said: “In our world technology is changing everything; our really big challenges are genuinely global; distance and time zones are not the impediments they once were. In this world Universities are key ‘go to’ places. We know about change and transformation, it is encoded in our DNA; we can drive and mediate change; but, we too have to change.

“We have to become even more globally connected, not just through ever more rapid data transfer and the internet of things, but through more purposeful engagement that can only come from spending more time with each other.”

Next week SJTU, which is a similar age to The University of Nottingham, will celebrate a 10 year partnership with the University of Michigan.

Last year Nottingham celebrated the tenth anniversary of the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, this country’s first Sino Foreign University. Both universities are founding members of Universitas 21.