The University of Liverpool welcomed a delegation from Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU) on 1 October 2026, marking a further step in a longstanding partnership with significant potential to expand international research collaboration and create new opportunities for student education and research training.
Led by Professor Shaobo Yang, Vice President of HZAU, the eight-member delegation included vice deans from the College of Life Science and Technology, the College of Resources and Environment, and the College of Informatics. The delegation met Professors Peter McCormick, James Cooper, and colleagues from Liverpool’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, and Global Engagement and Partnerships team. An institutional Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during the visit, supporting the further development of teaching and research links between the two universities.
The visit explored opportunities to build on established strengths in life sciences and extend collaboration into a broader range of science and engineering disciplines. Bringing together expertise across these areas offers considerable scope for interdisciplinary research, academic exchange and the development of future educational partnerships.
The relationship builds on over ten years of collaboration between HZAU and Professor Luning Liu’s research group at Liverpool. Joint work on photosynthesis, synthetic biology and carbon fixation has produced 20 collaborative publications, including papers in Nature Communications, Science Advances, PNAS and The Plant Cell. These achievements provide a strong foundation for expanding the partnership and further raising the international visibility of Liverpool’s research.
Student education and researcher development have been central to this relationship. A China Scholarship Council Innovative Talent Scheme (ITS) project, approved in 2022, was extended for a further three years from October 2025. The scheme supports doctoral and postdoctoral mobility alongside reciprocal academic visits, helping to sustain research links and develop the next generation of scientists.
The visit also highlighted the importance of providing international research experience early in students’ careers. In July 2026, 8 undergraduates from HZAU’s Life Sciences Elite Programme joined Liverpool for three-month laboratory placements with fee-paying arrangement supported by the CSC new programme. The placements offered practical laboratory experience and opportunities to develop research skills within an international academic setting. During the October visit, Professor Yang and the delegation met the students and joined them for a roundtable discussion.
Building on this experience, closer cooperation could enable more students to benefit from research-led teaching, laboratory training and international academic exchange. Such opportunities can help students develop scientific confidence, broaden their perspectives and prepare for postgraduate study and future research careers.
The two universities are exploring the potential for joint education programmes and broader research collaborations. For Liverpool, the partnership offers an opportunity to strengthen its international profile through sustained collaboration with a Chinese university with established strengths in agriculture and life sciences located in centre China. Expanding joint research and student mobility could deepen Liverpool’s academic connections with world-class international institutions, increase the reach of its research and teaching, and attract talented students and early-career researchers.
The visit underlined the potential to translate an established research relationship into a broader institutional partnership, supporting scientific discovery while creating valuable training opportunities for students at both universities.
About Huazhong Agricultural University
HZAU, located in Wuhan, China, is a leading university with a history dating back to 1898 and is a member of China’s “Project 211” and “Double First-Class” initiative. The university has 21 colleges and departments and employs 3,182 staff, including 1,750 academic staff. It has more than 36,000 full-time students, including approximately 20,200 undergraduates, 11,750 master’s students and 4,677 doctoral students. HZAU has particular strengths in agriculture and life sciences, including biology, horticulture, animal science and veterinary medicine. Its expertise complements the University of Liverpool’s research strengths, offering considerable potential for joint research, student exchange and the training of future scientists.