On October 11, 2023, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Monash University held a senior leadership meeting at SJTU’s Minhang campus to reaffirm the universities’ commitment to strengthening and expanding collaboration in education, research, and student mobility.

The visit coincides with the finalization of two double-degree Master’s program agreements between Monash University and the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and the China-UK Low Carbon College (LCC) at SJTU. Moreover, the Australian university will be renewing its double-degree Master’s program with SJTU’s School of Media and Communication before the end of 2023.

The flurry of program renewals between the universities underscores the unwavering determination from both Chinese and Australian universities to continue fruitful collaborations in higher education. This sentiment of mutual respect and trust was emphasized by both SJTU Vice-President Lisa X. Xu and Monash Pro Vice-Chancellor Sarah McDonald in their remarks at the meeting. With the reopening of international borders in the post-pandemic period, the upcoming years present a wonderful opportunity for universities to reinitiate comprehensive scholarly and student exchanges across various academic disciplines.

In particular, SJTU remains a key partner institution in China for Monash University, being the only destination in the country for the Australian university’s flagship study abroad program: the Global Immersion Guarantee Program (GIG). This program aims to cultivate global literacy by having first-year university students engage with issues of sustainability and environmental conservation and remediation through an international and interdisciplinary framework. Established between SJTU and Monash in 2019, the program epitomizes the two universities’ commitment to address the global issues of climate change through collective, multisectoral action.