To enhance the international education capabilities of its academic team and foster high-level scientific research collaborations, the School of Economics and Management invited Professor ZHANG Yufeng, Chair Professor of Operations Management at the University of Birmingham's Business School, Research Fellow at the Alan Turing Institute, and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK). During his visit, Professor ZHANG engaged in detailed discussions with the Key Laboratory of Big Data and Business Intelligence Technology of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, as well as with the "Xinghai" Academic Team’s "Research Center for Green Technology Management and Technology Entrepreneurship." The goal was to jointly promote deeper cooperation in teaching, research, and talent development.

On the morning of September 25^th, 2024, Professor ZHANG Yufeng held an exchange with the Key Laboratory of Big Data and Business Intelligence Technology, part of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Professor ZHU Jianxin, the executive director of the laboratory, provided a comprehensive overview of the lab’s recent research focus, particularly in the fields of big data and artificial intelligence. Professor ZHANG expressed his admiration for the laboratory's forward-thinking research agenda, solid scientific foundation, and significant research output, highlighting its leadership in exploring cutting-edge trends in big data. Both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on potential collaborations, including joint applications for scientific research projects, co-authoring high-level academic papers, and fostering postgraduate student development. They agreed to explore further cooperative efforts.

In the afternoon of September 26^th, 2024, Professor ZHANG met with the "Xinghai" Academic Team’s "Research Center for Green Technology Management and Technology Entrepreneurship." Professor LI Wanhong, the team leader, provided a detailed introduction to the team’s history and current research focus. Centered around China’s "dual carbon" goals, the team is working on breakthroughs in areas such as new energy technology management, the integration of digitalization and greening in key industries, and carbon finance. Team members also proposed plans for establishing an international joint laboratory and discussed the joint cultivation of doctoral students. The meeting emphasized the importance of strengthening student exchanges and broadening cooperation in all areas of research and development.

As an overseas supervisor for postgraduate students, Professor ZHANG Yufeng is well-versed in the mechanisms of cooperation between Chinese and British universities, with extensive experience in industry-education integration, collaborative education, and high-level scientific research. His visit is part of the school’s strategic initiative to further internationalize its faculty and student programs. Moving forward, the school plans to continue inviting high-level international experts to visit and provide guidance, creating more opportunities for the global development of its teachers and students.