Officials from one of Australian's top universities spent five days at CityU in January to explore collaboration opportunities in the areas of undergraduate education, curriculum development, research, and student exchange.

An 11-member delegation led by Professor Alan Lindsay, Monash University's Deputy Vice Chancellor and Vice President (Academic and Planning), and including Mr Ian Porter, Principal Adviser for International and Government Relations and the Deans and Heads of various Monash faculties received a warm welcome from CityU senior university management staff on 17 January.

Vice-President (Education) Professor Edmond Ko, who led CityU's welcoming party, delivered a brief introduction to CityU's faculty and school structure, while Professor Lindsay spoke about Monash's international orientation. "Monash is internationally oriented, and committed to establishing a worldwide network of campuses, centres and partnerships," said Professor Lindsay.

Monash officials visited the campus last November and displayed some enthusiasm for offering top-up award degree programmes to College students who had completed two-year associate degree programmes.

Meanwhile, CityU's excellent biotechnology facilities were under the spotlight at a recent visit by Peking University President, Professor Xu Zhihong, who toured the campus on 28 January with an eye to increased collaboration between the two universities.

Professor Xu, an Honorary Doctor of Science recipient at CityU's 16th Congregation, was received by President H K Chang, Professor Y S Wong, Vice-President (Research) Professor P S Chung, Associate Vice-President (Research) Professor W F Fong, Professor Nora Tam and Dr Michael Yang.

A renowned botanist and Director of the Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology, Professor Xu toured the biology and chemistry laboratories, green house, Centre for Coastal Pollution and Conservation, and the Applied Research Centre for Genomic Technologies. He said that Peking University plans to set up an environmental science department, with research focused on environmental biology, biotechnology, and marine conservation. Professor Xu also visited the School of Creative Media.