September brought a bonus trip to China. With several programme changes and negotiations underway across our China partnerships, I had the opportunity to visit our existing MoE dual-degree partners, explore potential new collaborations, and meet with research colleagues. Given the current restrictions and freezes on conference budgets, I’m grateful that these visits still allow me to connect meaningfully with colleagues and maintain research links.
Although the trip to China largely mirrored my previous visit, the order was reversed, meaning we began in the south. This meant flying into and starting in Shanghai rather than Beijing. As a result, I wasn’t able to revisit my usual Beijing haunts. However, despite passing through Shanghai many times over the past few years, I haven’t actually spent any real time there since leaving China in 2017. Having a few nights in Shanghai was therefore very welcome, giving me the chance to explore the city again. My three nights in Shanghai were reduced to two after a missed connection in Frankfurt, but it was still enough time to visit the French Quarter for a drink, walk along The Bund, and explore Shanghai Old City. I was surprised to find much of the Old City boarded up for large-scale redevelopment, so it didn’t have the buzz I was expecting, though the City God Temple remains, alongside some of the newer developments. After my bit of sightseeing, I headed to East China Normal University for meetings.
Next it was off to Jinan and the Shandong University of Science and Technology—the partner I know best and have spent the most time with. Being back meant I could visit my ‘Beer Man’, who, amazingly, still remembers me and my usual order. While there, we attended the formal opening ceremony and met parents. The ceremony required a white shirt, which led to a quick dash to the market, as I generally avoid packing white shirts—especially for month-long trips. Because I know Jinan so well, I was able to make the most of my evenings, wandering around the springs, Daming Lake, and Thousand Buddha Mountain.
After Jinan we headed to Zhejiang to visit Hangzhou and Jinhua.
Robin Bell 