Jun. 29, a delegation including Wim van den Doel, Executive Director of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), Remco den Besten, Director of the Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON), Ambassador Paul Menkveld and 6 others visited Tsinghua University. Tsinghua Vice President Xue Qikun met with the delegation in the Gongziting complex, where he signed a memorandum of understanding in space science and technology with SRON. Taking this as an opportunity, all parties agreed to collaborate in promoting international research and communication in space science.
During the meeting, Xue Qikun introduced Tsinghua’s cooperation with world top universities and its student exchange situation, expressing also Tsinghua’s wish to cooperate with SRON in both space technology and talent exchange. Ambassador Paul Menkveld spoke highly of Tsinghua’s research capabilities and international fame, and introduced the advances in space research in the Netherlands. He expressed his wish also that the two parties could achieve great and substantial cooperative success after signing the memorandum of understanding. Xu Jin from the National Natural Science Foundation, Wang Yayu and Mao Shude from the Department of Physics, and Ma Jun, Director of Overseas R&D Management Office, General Office of Scientific R&D, attended the meeting, with Prof. Cui Wei from the Department of Physics chairing the signing ceremony.
After signing the memorandum of understanding, Dutch representatives engaged in a round-table discussion with more than ten teachers from Tsinghua carrying out space research from the Department of Physics, the Department of Engineering Physics, the Department of Chemistry, and the Department of Thermal Engineering. All present discussed thoroughly possible areas for collaboration, as well as possible funding sources and mechanisms.
[update:2017-06]
