UniBa launches a research and teaching college in China

The University of Bari Aldo Moro has inaugurated the Bari International Institute in Chengdu, the capital of the Chinese province of Sichuan; this is an international Italian academic institution established jointly by UniBa and Chengdu Normal University (CDNU). The new college marks a further step in the Bari-based university’s internationalisation process and has been established as a bridge for teaching, training and research between Italia and the Asian giant. It is one of the few international academic institutions established by an Italian university in China, and the first to be set up by a university in southern Italy.

Formally authorised by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, the International Institute of Bari will launch joint dual-degree programmes in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, with courses taught in English by Italian and Chinese lecturers from the two universities. The aim is to promote the mobility of students and lecturers between Italia and China and vice versa, and to foster the development of joint research activities.

The University of Bari is strengthening its internationalisation strategy, one of the key drivers for enhancing the quality of teaching and research and consolidating its presence on the global academic stage. Through an ever-expanding network of partnerships with international universities and research centres, the mobility of students, lecturers and researchers, and participation in international scientific projects, the University aims to offer new opportunities for growth to its community, whilst helping to promote Bari and Puglia as a meeting point between Europe, the Mediterranean and the global stage.

During the opening ceremony – attended by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bari, Roberto Bellotti, his delegate for international cooperation with Asian countries, Raffaele Lafortezza, and the President of Chengdu Normal University, Shi Shixin – UniBa Rector Roberto Bellotti was awarded the title of Honorary Professor, a distinction conferred by Chengdu Normal University in recognition of the Rector’s academic work and his contribution to the development of academic cooperation between the two universities.

“Universities today have a responsibility to build bridges between countries, cultures and scientific communities,” emphasised Bellotti, “by educating new generations capable of tackling major global challenges through knowledge, research and innovation. The international institute in Bari represents a strategic investment in the future of academic relations between Italy and China: not merely a new educational programme, but the creation of a stable platform for international cooperation that will enable our students and lecturers to share experiences, expertise and research opportunities in an increasingly global context.”
Bellotti also highlighted the role of the Italian Embassy in Beijing, whose institutional support – thanks to the commitment of Ambassador Massimo Ambrosetti and Minister Plenipotentiary Cristina Carenza – has contributed significantly to the conclusion of the agreement between the two universities.