On September 17th, 2025, Professor Julian Williams, Head of the Department of Finance at Durham University Business School, UK, together with Associate Professor HUANG Xinyi and Assistant Professor ZHENG Yawen, paid a visit to our school. Dr. PENG Zeyu, Director of the International Office of ECUST School of Business, Ms. LI Yunfang, Director of the Undergraduate Program Office, and Ms. PAN Xuejing, Deputy Director of the International Office of the Business School, received the guests.

PENG Zeyu first extended a warm welcome to Professor Julian Williams and his delegation. He briefly introduced the school's development history, discipline construction, talent cultivation, and existing international exchange programs. He emphasized that internationalization has always been an important development strategy of the school. Over the years, the school has established a stable cooperation network with many well-known universities around the world, accumulated rich experience in inter-university exchanges, and expressed sincere wishes to establish cooperative relations with Durham University Business School.

On behalf of Durham University Business School, Professor Julian Williams expressed his sincere thanks to ECUST School of Business for the warm reception. He elaborated on the school-running history, advantageous disciplines of Durham University Business School, as well as the basic situation of its international exchange programs with other Chinese universities. He stated that the two schools could establish in-depth cooperation relations at multiple levels and dimensions in student exchange, faculty mutual visits, and scientific research cooperation in the future.

In the subsequent meeting, representatives from both sides conducted in-depth discussions on core topics such as long-term and short-term student exchanges, academic mutual visits of teachers, and scientific research cooperation, and exchanged views on potential cooperation directions.

Founded in 1832, Durham University is a top comprehensive research university in the UK and a member of the Russell Group. It ranked 89th in the 2025 QS World University Rankings and 5th in the UK, with 21 disciplines among the world's top 100. Since its establishment in 1965, Durham University Business School has offered undergraduate, master's and doctoral programs covering economics, corporate finance, finance, business administration and other fields. It boasts a strong faculty, close ties with world-renowned enterprises, and a high level of internationalization. With its outstanding teaching and research capabilities, it has obtained AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA triple international accreditations, ranking among the top 1% of business schools in the world.