On the morning of September 2, a Zimbabwean higher education delegation headed by Amon Murwira visited the Department of Earth System Science (DESS) in Tsinghua University. Professor Lin Yanluan, deputy dean of the DESS and Associate Professor Yu Le attended the meeting.

On behalf of the DESS, Professor Lin Yanluan warmly welcomed Minister Amon Murwira and his delegation. During the meeting, Professor Lin introduced the rich history, notable research achievements, and extensive international cooperation initiatives of the DESS. He emphasized that the DESS has a long-standing tradition of collaboration and exchange with African nations, highlighting that the university's first international student hailed from Ghana. The two parties have undertaken extensive cooperation in the realms of remote sensing and space geography.

Professor Lin further noted that since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Zimbabwe, both countries have consistently maintained robust relations of mutual support and shared development. Looking ahead, he expressed the DESS's commitment to deepening its cooperation with universities and research institutions in Zimbabwe and across the African continent. This cooperation will focus on talent development, faculty exchanges, and research collaborations, with the aim of jointly contributing to the advancement of a shared future for China and Africa.

Amon Murwira expressed his gratitude to the DESS for the warm reception. During his address, he briefly outlined the history of Zimbabwe and highlighted the existing cooperation between Zimbabwe and Tsinghua University in the realm of higher education. Minister Murwira conveyed his optimism and anticipation for future collaborations between the two sides. He emphasized that there is ample scope for cooperation in areas such as student exchange programs, faculty exchanges, joint doctoral training, research partnerships, and the signing of memorandums of understanding. Minister Murwira expressed his hope for establishing closer and more profound cooperative ties, thereby fostering mutual progress and development in the field of education research.

Group photo of participants

This visit has not only fostered a deeper mutual understanding between the DESS and Zimbabwe's higher education sector, but has also laid a solid groundwork for future collaborations between the two sides. Seizing the opportunity presented by this visit, both sides aim to further explore multifaceted cooperation and pave new avenues for the advancement and prosperity of education.

Text and pictures by Xu Meng

Edited by Wang Jiayin

Reviewed by Geng Rui