The elite Tsinghua University in China and Aarhus University have now signed an extension of their existing cooperation agreement, a so-called “Memorandum of Understanding”, with both universities being committed to closer collaboration with regard to research and education. Tsinghua University is consistently ranked as one of the very best universities in China.

- Our ties with Tsinghua University have grown stronger because we are both committed to closer collaboration. China is investing hugely in research at the moment, and as a Danish university – indeed as a European university – it is absolutely vital that we maintain a close partnership for education and research with academic heavyweights such as Tsinghua. They have a range of impressive academic environments from which we can learn a great deal. I definitely expect many of Aarhus University’s PhD scholars as well as our more established researchers to benefit a great deal from this strengthening of our collaboration, says Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, Rector of Aarhus University.

Researchers need to be global these days

Gu Binglin, who is soon to retire as Rector of Tsinghua University, was in Aarhus to sign the cooperation agreement. He actually gained his PhD from Aarhus University, and his belief in the value of intensified collaboration comes as no surprise.

He pointed out that Aarhus University has a number of advantages seen from a Chinese perspective, as well as a great number of top-notch researchers – for instance in his own field of Physics. In fact, this was why he originally chose to do his PhD at Aarhus University 30 years ago. He hopes that many young Chinese students will decide to study in Denmark, and gave an assurance that Danish students would also be given a warm welcome in China. Researchers have to be global animals these days, he said. They need to understand each other despite the cultural differences between them if they are to work together to solve the challenges facing the world today.

Joint centre for computer science

Tsinghua University and Aarhus University already enjoy fruitful and close collaboration with regard to the CTIC Centre, which is financed jointly by the Danish National Research Foundation and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The CTIC researchers are involved in the field of computer science, focusing in particular on complexity theory, cryptography, quantum informatics and algorithmic gaming theory. The cooperation agreement for this centre was extended in connection with the signing of the new Memorandum of Understanding.

In recognition of the collaboration between the two institutions, Tsinghua University made Aarhus University the host of China Theory Week in 2011. China Theory Week is a Tsinghua initiative bringing together the 20 most promising PhD scholars in computer science from all over the world for a week during which they can network and collaborate with local PhD scholars in their own field.

- This gives us a great opportunity to showcase our research to some of the best brains in our field, as well as recruiting promising international researchers of the future, says Professor Peter Bro Miltersen from the Department of Computer Science, who is the Manager of CTIC at Aarhus University.

Tsinghua University has already asked Aarhus University to host China Theory Week in 2012 as well; and Professor Gu Binglin, who has just been appointed to lead the development of Tsinghua’s Institute of Advanced Studies (TIAS), wants TIAS and the corresponding body at Aarhus University (the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies or AIAS), to develop their connections as sister organisations.

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