Very well to golden opportunities in China

Academy of Social Sciences – which has more than 4,000 researchers and is an important “think-tank” for the Chinese government in all matters relating to the humanities. A University of Pennsylvania survey into world think-tanks. ranked Cass first in Asia.

We established a memorandum of understanding between Cass and the RSE to establish a programme of scholarly exchanges, joint international conferences and research programmes. The first workshop is likely to be on one of the founders of the RSE, Adam Smith, widely studied and revered in China. We also spoke at length with senior researchers from the Institute of Microbiology, and with the Institute of Genetics and Development Biology.

The Chinese are focused on the commercialisation of research. The ability to commercialise research weighs heavily when they are making decisions.

The RSE will be speaking with the Scottish Government on the results of our visit and the opportunities we believe it presents.

We were fortunate in that, while in China, we discussed the way forward with the UK’s ambassador, Sebastian Wood, with his political counsellor, Dan Chugg, First Secretary (Scotland) John Somers and Dr Alicia Greated, director of Research Council UK based in Beijing. All were strongly supportive of the visit, and of our proposal to return to China with a delegation from academia and industry. We hope we can also gain the support of the UK and Scottish governments. l Sir John Arbuthnott is president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh www.royalsoced.org.uk