In addition to signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the delegation participated in a scholarly forum on “New Directions in the Humanities for the AI‑Driven Digital Age” and engaged in discusions with relevant schools. Following the visit, both faculties have actively advanced a range of collaborative initiatives, including a short-term student visit programme and a biennial Arts and Humanities Festival.

The MoU signing ceremony was witnessed by Professor Zhou Jianghong, Vice President of Zhejiang University, and Professor Isabella Poon Wai-yin, Provost of CUHK. Professor Zhou
expressed his expectations for future collaboration between the two institutions in humanities research and education. Professor Poon remarked that the signing of the MoU marks the beginning of a more systematic and forward-looking phase of academic collaboration in the humanities between the two universities. Professor Max Tang Xiaobing, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at CUHK, and Professor Wang Yunlu, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at ZJU, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective institutions.

Under the agreement, both faculties will promote a wide range of academic collaborations, including faculty and student exchanges, joint research projects, co-publications, and the co-organisation of academic activities. In particular, a short-term student visit programme will provide students from both universities with opportunities for meaningful interaction and cross-cultural learning. Currently, both sides are actively preparing for the first cohort of ZJU students to visit CUHK this summer, thereby formally launching the partnership and laying a foundation for its further expansion.

Another key area of collaboration is the preparation for a biennial Arts and Humanities Festival. Building on the consensus reached during the visit, CUHK’s organising committee has recently held its first meeting to begin planning for the inaugural festival, scheduled to be held on the CUHK campus in the 2027–28 academic year. The festival aims to create a vibrant and diverse platform for broad participation in arts activities.

Dean Tang stated that this is the first comprehensive collaboration agreement the Faculty has signed with a top university in the Chinese Mainland in the fields of humanities research and teaching in recent years.

“The Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Zhejiang University comprises six schools and possesses impressive scale and resources. At the same time, there are many areas in which our two Faculties can learn from and complement each other. I particularly hope the short-term student visit programme and the Arts and Humanities Festival will bring new experiences and perspectives to our students.”

The partnership reflects the Faculty of Arts’ commitment to expanding regional and international academic networks, fostering student mobility, and reimagining the role of the humanities in an era shaped by digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

Faculty news of ZJU Faculty of Arts and Humanities (Chinese only)