The sixth meeting of the Joint Management Committee (JMC) took place in the afternoon of 19 September (Beijing Time). Co-chaired by Prof. Li Zhihong, JMC Chair, Vice President of Central South University (CSU), and Prof. Kim Dale, JMC Vice Chair and Vice Principal of the University of Dundee (UoD), the meeting gathered core committee members including Fordyce Davidson, Karen Petrie, Jason Norris, Yin Gang, Gao Dongbo and Gao Guangjun.
Several representatives attended by formal proxy: Claire McGinnis stood in for JMC member Lee Hamill, Niall Dodds represented Rebecca Leiper; Zhang Ying attended on behalf of Li Jiacai, Chen Guoxiong for He Xuhui, and Wang Xiaozong for Yi Liang. Judy Finlay and Fay Sandford, alongside relevant DIICSU administrative staff, joined the meeting as non-voting attendees.
The meeting started with a summary of the last JMC meeting - the fifth session. All proposals – covering committee membership changes, payment of agreed Agreement fees and adjustment to undergraduate intake quotas across DIICSU’s degree programmes – were unanimously approved via formal vote. Gao Guangjun, Dean of DIICSU, alongside Karen Petrie, Executive Vice Dean (EVD), delivered a joint progress report on the 2024–2025 academic year, spanning DIICSU’s overall update, teaching operations, facilities development and collaborations and exchanges.
In her closing remarks, Kim Dale expressed delight at her appointment as JMC Vice Chair and extended sincere gratitude to staff from both universities for their outstanding input. She highlighted the University of Dundee’s notable performance in the 2026 Guardian University Guide league table, climbing 26 places to 26th nationally across the UK. Its Computer Science subject was ranked seventh and Mechanical Engineering ninth, both securing top-ten standings nationwide.
Li Zhihong commented that DIICSU had entered its pivotal fourth operational year, with its inaugural cohort set to graduate the following year. He voiced full confidence that DIICSU would continue to deliver robust support and expansive international pathways to underpin students’ global development. Thanking committee members for ongoing backing and all staff for their diligent efforts, he outlined aspirations to diversify the scope and format of bilateral partnership activity moving forward.
