The 7th meeting of the Joint Management Committee (JMC) of Dundee International Institute of Central South University (DIICSU) was held in the afternoon (Beijing Time) on 20 September. The meeting was co-chaired by Li Zhihong, Chair of JMC, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of CSU and Vice President of CSU, and Kim Dale, Vice Chair of JMC and Vice Principal of the University of Dundee (UoD). JMC member Karen Petrie, Vice Principal of UoD, attended the meeting virtually. CSU-side committee members in attendance included Li Jiacai, Director of Planning and Financial Department; Yin Gang, Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchanges; Gao Dongbo, Secretary of the Party Committee of DIICSU; Gao Guangjun, Dean of DIICSU; and Yi Liang, Part-time Vice Dean of DIICSU.
Claire McGinnis, Deputy Director of Legal at UoD, attended on behalf of committee member Lee Hamill; Chen Guoxiong, Vice Director of Undergraduate School, CSU, attended on behalf of committee member He Xuhui and MIN Xiaobo in succession.
Also present were Andrei Pisliakov, Executive Vice Dean of DIICSU; Nicole Lombardo, Head of Recruitment & Partnerships at UoD; Judy Finlay, Director of China, UoD; Christine Sinclair, Strategic Partnerships Manager; together with relevant staff from CSU Office of International Cooperation and Exchanges and DIICSU.
The two sides first reviewed outcomes from the 6th JMC meeting. Motions concerning changes to JMC membership, payment of agreed expenses for academic year 2026-27, exploration of new undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at DIICSU, and investigation into recruiting international students were unanimously approved by vote. Subsequently, Gao Guangjun and Andrei Pisliakov delivered a joint report on DIICSU’s operations for the 2025-2026 academic year, covering the Institute’s overall update, teaching operations, outcomes for the first graduate cohort, and exchanges and outreach DIICSU has made domestically and globally.
In her address, Kim Dale congratulated DIICSU on the graduation of its first cohort of students. She noted the cohort’s outstanding outcomes in postgraduate progression and graduate employment, which bear clear witness to the high-quality joint education delivered by CSU and UoD. DIICSU has maintained strong student recruitment, while multiple subject areas at the University of Dundee hold prominent positions in UK national league tables. She stated that both universities will continue discussions on introducing new programmes and broadening areas of collaboration, so as to enhance DIICSU’s appeal and long-term sustainability and further deepen the long-standing, friendly partnership between the two universities.
Li Zhihong confirmed that all agenda items for the JMC meeting had been completed successfully and thanked all committee members for their strong support. DIICSU has successfully completed its first full operational cycle and achieved substantial progress. The excellent performance of its first graduate cohort has boosted the Institute’s reputation and influence, and a new student intake has arrived this academic year. The path ahead brings both opportunities and challenges. The two universities will continue to work in close partnership to drive forward DIICSU’s high-quality development and enable the Institute’s educational mission to forge ahead steadily into the future.
