Peking University, September 17, 2026: On September 10, William Flanagan, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Alberta, led a delegation to Peking University (PKU), in an effort to renew a three-decade-old partnership and deepen cooperation in more disciplines. 

Welcoming the delegation at Linhuxuan, Gao Song, president of PKU, noted that since the start of the two universities’ partnership in 1995, they have built a solid foundation for collaboration in student exchange, faculty development, and scientific research.

He expressed hope that, against the backdrop of the continued positive development of China-Canada relations, the renewal of this relationship would provide an opportunity to further expand exchanges and strengthen academic cooperation, especially in fields including agriculture, life sciences, medicine, energy, environmental protection, and artificial intelligence. 

Flanagan thanked PKU for the hospitality and said that the University of Alberta attaches great importance to this partnership. Noting that the two universities still have strong potential to expand cooperation, he said he hoped they could deepen collaboration in areas of shared interest, including sustainable development, energy, and environmental protection.

He also proposed strengthening communication between the two universities regarding AI-assisted teaching, research, and university governance, with the goal of exploring new approaches to higher education.

Following the meeting, the two university presidents renewed the Memorandum of Understanding between Peking University and the University of Alberta. Faculty members from relevant departments of PKU also attended the meeting.



Written by: Niki Qiu
Edited by: Wong Jun Heng, Chen Shizhuo
Photo by: Li Xianghua