Upon the invitation of the College, Professor Iain Hay at School of the Environment of Flinders University Australia arrived in Beijing on September 15 and started his 14-day stay with Beijing Union University as a guest professor.

Professor Hay received heartfelt welcome from the leadership of the College represented by Deputy Dean Professor Wang Tong, Director of the Urban Science Department Professor Zhang Jingqiu and other responsible people from the School administration.

During the welcome meeting, both sides updated each other of the latest information of the institutions generally and academically. Professor Wang Tong hopes that Professor Iain Hay’s visit and his series of lectures will inspire the students in their learning, and meanwhile broaden the horizon of both the students and the faculty so as to accelerate the school’s internationalization. She also expressed her expected more opportunity of bilateral exchange.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional festival of China which celebrates the harvest and the full moon, is around the corner, Professor Wang Tong hoped that the favorable festival atmosphere could make Professor Hay further immersed in China’s time-honored history and traditions. On the other side, Professor Hay hopes that both the two institutions can advance their collaboration in more fields.

Flinders University enjoys a well-justified reputation for its excellence in teaching and research. It has a long-standing commitment to enhancing educational opportunities for all and a proud record of community engagement. Its School of the Environment and the Urban Science Department of the College of Applied Arts and Science of BUU has established friendly linkage for a couple of years.