Griffith University Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Ian O'Connor hosted a private ceremony to officially farewell Mr REN Gongping, Brisbane’s Consul-General for the People’s Republic of China, at Griffith’s Centre for Environment and Population Health (CEPH), Thursday 17 February, 2011.
Professor O’Connor acknowledged Mr Ren’s many significant contributions to China-Queensland relations achieved during his diplomatic term as a Consul-General in Brisbane.
“In Ren's four year service, the Chinese Consulate has grown rapidly and has committed itself to developing stronger relationships between Queensland and China by providing valuable support to Queensland communities,” said Professor O’Connor.
“Mr Ren has become a valued member of the Griffith community and a strong supporter of University initiatives, particularly the work of CEPH.”
“He has taken a keen interest in the academic and cultural activities of the Centre, and the Chinese Consulate has been very helpful in facilitating visas and study grants for Griffith staff.”
Griffith Vice Chancellor, Prof Ian O'Connor and Mr Ren Gongping at the Nathan campus, 17 Feb 2011.
Griffith has been particularly active in its links with China for more than 15 years and now has Memoranda of Understandings for research collaborations, articulation arrangements, and exchange agreements with more than 60 esteemed institutions in China.
For instance, in 2010, the university signed an MOU with the Guangdong Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention which has set the agenda for public health capacity building between the two nations.
Since his arrival in February 2007, Mr Ren has conferred his full support to scientific and technical cooperation between China and Queensland, resulting in the productive and constructive development of extensive research cooperation.
A good example of this is the Australia-China Future Dialogues launched in 2009. This Griffith initiative held in conjunction with Peking University and the Queensland Government focuses on the future of how the Asia Pacific region into the next twenty years and how this evolution can be shaped in the interests of the countries of the Asia Pacific.
Mr Ren was accompanied by Mr Cao Zhouhua, Consul for Science and Technology, Chinese Consulate in Brisbane who Professor O’Connor also acknowledged for the great service and support he and Ren have provided to Chinese students at Griffith which have now grown to more than 2,400.
Mr Ren has both welcomed and attended countless graduation ceremonies for new Chinese (international) students.
“Griffith is a university at world research standard. We recognise the university’s vision and contribution, to cooperate with Chinese science communities especially in the fields of climate change, environment and population health, biodiversity, infectious diseases and psychology research,” Mr Ren said.
“Griffith’s Chinese (International) graduates have returned to China and been playing key roles in disease control during natural disasters, such as the Sichuan Wenchuan Earthquake in 2008 and the infectious disease control of the H1N1 flu. This illustrates CEPH’s contribution to promote strong academic links with Chinese health communities,” he said.
The reception was well attended by Griffith executives, staff and students.
Article produced by Griffith International Relations, Phone: +61 07 5552 9095, Email: internationalrelations@griffith.edu.au