The Chinese Ambassador and Lord Prescott have officially opened the University’s School of Contemporary Chinese Studies (SCCS).

His Excellency Liu Xiaoming, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the UK, joined the former Deputy Prime Minster to open the Si Yuan Centre. The centre houses the SCCS, a leading national and international institute dedicated to research and degree programmes about the study of China.

The SCCS was established in 2007 to bring together the former Institute of Contemporary Chinese Studies with the China Policy Institute (CPI). The school also houses the prestigious Nottingham Confucius Institute.

The new, low-carbon, £4m facility is on Jubilee Campus and provides a peaceful and creative environment for teaching and the study of Chinese language and culture. It will also be used for visiting exhibitions and for hosting Sino-UK business engagement events.

The new iconic building enhances the campus — sitting among other ground-breaking, low-carbon buildings — and sets a new standard in sustainability.

The University has committed considerable resources to the development of the education it offers in the UK and China, particularly through its Chinese Studies programme.

Professor Shujie Yao, a well-known economist specialising in China, founding head of the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies and director of the Nottingham Confucius Institute, said: “Since the inception of the school over five years ago, our dream was to build the best centre of Contemporary Chinese Studies in the UK and Europe. This beautiful and inspiring building situated on this picturesque campus will provide the exact physical space to realise our ambition. I thank Dr Thomas Chen [a member of the University’s College of Benefactors], of the Si Yuan Foundation, and our Vice-Chancellor Professor David Greenaway for their generosity and support for making our dream come true.”

The Si Yuan Centre, funded by the Si Yuan Foundation, is part of Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, delivering the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future.

Professor David Greenaway said: “We are very proud of the quality and calibre of many of our buildings at the University, and the Si Yuan Centre continues to enhance the environment on Jubilee Campus with its inspiring style and innovative construction. The support for the development of the building by Dr Thomas Chen has helped us achieve a burning ambition for the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies, and we are honoured to have HE Liu opening the building.”

The University of Nottingham is a pioneer in international education and has a strong relationship with China. It has 42,000 students across its three international campuses in the UK, Malaysia and China. The University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) opened its doors in 2004 and now has more than 5,500 students.