On July 4, Dr. Verna Yiu, Provost and Vice President of the University of Alberta, led a delegation to visit Henan University (HENU). Zhang Ligang, Vice President of HENU, met with the guests, accompanied by heads of relevant departments including the International Affairs Office, the Medical School, and the School of Economics.

Zhang Ligang extended a warm welcome to Dr. Verna Yiu and her delegation. He reviewed the history of HENU and its progress in recent years, emphasizing the significance of expanding cooperation with world-leading universities during the critical phase of HENU’s “Double First-Class” initiative. He expressed hope that the two universities would leverage their disciplinary strengths to carry out cooperation in fields such as artificial intelligence and engineering technology, jointly build a bridge for bilateral exchanges, and contribute to enhancing China-Canada friendship.

Dr. Verna Yiu introduced the University of Alberta’s distinctive educational features and internationalization strategy. She affirmed her institution’s high regard for cooperation with HENU and anticipated substantive collaboration in joint research and student exchange programs to achieve mutual development.

During the discussion session, both parties engaged in in-depth dialogues on issues including student exchanges and research cooperation.

Subsequently, in the presence of representatives from both institutions, Zhang Ligang and Dr. Verna Yiu, on behalf of their respective universities, signed a Memorandum of Understanding and a cooperative framework agreement for the “2+2” undergraduate program in Economics. This marks a new stage in the cooperative relationship between the two universities.

The University of Alberta, founded in 1908, ranks among Canada’s top research-intensive universities and the world’s top 100 institutions. As a founding member of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, it holds the 94th position in the QS World University Rankings 2026. The university enjoys an excellent international reputation in fields such as energy engineering, artificial intelligence, and life sciences.