On October 20th, 2023, the delegation led by Dr. David Malloy, President of King's University College at Western University, Canada (also known as University of Western Ontario), visited our school, accompanied by Ms. Sarah Li, Asia Programs Officer of King's University College. Prof. MA Tieju, Dean of the ECUST School of Business, Dr. PENG Zeyu, Director of the International Office, and Prof. LI Youping, Chair of the Department of Economics, participated in the meeting.

Dean MA Tieju warmly welcomed President David Malloy and Ms. Sarah Li from King's University College. He said that the School attaches great importance to cooperation and exchanges with international higher institutions and is willing to provide a high-quality academic environment and resources to support the international strategy of the School. He mentioned that both sides have achieved remarkable results in the "2+2" undergraduate double degree program and hoped to deepen cooperation through this meeting and explore more areas of collaboration such as joint research projects, faculty exchanges, and student exchange programs.

President David Malloy expressed his gratitude for the warm reception from the School of Business. He expressed his satisfaction with the results of the current cooperation and is full of confidence in the future prospects of cooperation between the two sides. He emphasized that the cooperative program between the two universities not only bring mutually beneficial opportunities but also provide students with broader academic and career development prospects. He also looks forward to further strengthening communication and expanding areas of cooperation to provide students with more diverse learning opportunities. 

Ms. Sarah Li introduced the advantageous disciplines and teaching characteristics of King's University College. She emphasized that King's University College features small class teaching and is committed to providing comprehensive student services and campus support work in order to create a positive, challenging, and supportive educational environment for students.

Dr. PENG Zeyu and Prof. LI Youping respectively introduced the advantages of the School of Business in the field of economics and international exchanges, and expressed their utmost efforts to promote cooperation with King's University College. Both sides had in-depth discussions on specific matters, reached a consensus on further enhancing communication and cooperation.

After the meeting, President David Malloy and his delegation visited the facilities of the School including laboratories, research institutes and centers, classrooms, etc.

Since 2018, ECUST School of Business has been collaborating with King's University College at Western University (114th in QS2024) in Canada to offer a "2+2" undergraduate double degree program. This program is open to ECUST undergraduates majoring in "International Economics and Trade" or "Economics" at the School of Business. Under the framework of this program, students study at ECUST for their first and second years and then continue their studies at King's University College for their third and fourth years. Students who meet graduation requirements from both universities can simultaneously receive bachelor's degrees from ECUST and Western University.