Wuhan University in Hubei province held a founding ceremony for a joint institute with Durham University in the UK on Monday, marking an upgrade of cooperation from programs to institutionalized education.

In the morning, Zhang Pingwen, president of Wuhan University, met with Karen O'Brien, president of Durham University. Both sides held in-depth discussions on the institute's operation.

Dominic McAllister, British consul general in Wuhan, sent warm congratulations, expecting to meet the first class of new students in September. He said the joint institute shows great cooperation potential in education and research, in line with Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to China in January, which laid a foundation for bilateral cooperation.

Zhu Kongjun, Party secretary of Wuhan University, said the institute serves the national strategy of opening-up.

O'Brien praised the long-term partnership and promised that Durham would provide high-quality faculty, academic programs, and research resources to build a model Sino-foreign joint institute with Wuhan University.

Approved by the Ministry of Education in December 2025, the institute plans to recruit 350 undergraduates this year for six majors: Geophysics, Earth Science, Smart Water Management, Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation, Electronic Information Engineering, and Electrical Engineering and Automation.

Students will spend four years studying in Wuhan while being registered with both universities. They will be taught by professors from either side and be awarded double degrees upon graduation.

A high-quality development forum on Sino-foreign cooperative education ran concurrently with the ceremony. Experts discussed innovation, quality, and development and offered advice for the joint institute.

Liu Xueru contributed to this story.