From May 7^th to 14^th local time, Zhou Qing, Vice president of Ningbo University, led a delegation to visit Musashino Academia Musicae, Tokyo University of the Arts in Japan and Middle Tennessee State University in the United States, with an aim to expand cooperation and exchanges with top art universities in Japan and step up in-depth cooperation with key partners in the United States. Focusing on the international development of art and mathematics, this visit has achieved multiple fruits in areas of talent cultivation, scientific research cooperation and faculty construction.

In the visit to Musashino Academia Musicae, Tokyo, the delegation met with Vice President ; Director of the Academic Affairs Office and Director of the Admissions Office , and reached consensuses on international cultivation of music talents in terms of opening more channels to exchange outstanding students, sending excellent students from Ningbo University to Japan for exchange and pursue master’s and doctoral degrees, jointly holding China-Japan friendship concerts, and inviting Japanese professors to give master lectures in Ningbo University. In the Asia-renowned Tokyo University of the Arts, the delegation met Dean of the College of Music ; Professo from the International Office and Professor , who is in charge of East Asian ethnic music exchange events. The two sides discussed the feasibility of cooperation and noted out priorities to carry out teacher visits, academic cooperation in vocal music and music theory, and invite Japanese conductors to Ningbo University for joint art performances. At the meeting, Zhou Qing twice extended invitations to both universities to attend the International Academic Conference on Jiangnan Music Culture hosted by our university and the 40^th anniversary celebration of our university. During the visit, Zhou Qing held special discussions with Chinese doctoral students studying at both universities, introducing the development of Ningbo University and our demand for high-level overseas talents. He also expressed the intention to build a long-term platform for connecting and recommending overseas talents, which received a warm response from the doctoral students.

At the Middle Tennessee State University in the United States, the delegation attended the 2025 graduation ceremony of students from the Sino-US Actuarial program co-conducted by our university as China’s first benchmark of Sino-foreign cooperative education in actuarial science. This program has cumulatively cultivated over 400 talents, eight of whom have obtained the qualification of associate actuary in North America, and the employment rate of graduates has reached 100% for ten consecutive years. During the in-depth discussion and exchange with the students, Zhou Qing learned about their study and life in the United States as well as their future work situation, encouraged and presented them with Ningbo University souvenirs, demonstrating the care of their Alma Mater. The delegation met with Executive Vice President Mark Byrnes; Vice President Robert Summers in charge of international affairs; Vice Dean of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences Samuel Harun; Dean of the Department of Mathematics Chris Stephenson, and Acting Director of the Actuarial Center Vajira Manathunga. The two universities reviewed the achievements of talent cultivation in the actuarial program over the past thirteen years, and had made thorough discussions and exchanges on establishing a regular working collaboration mechanism, brand-building of the actuarial program, expanding multi-dimensional cooperation areas and jointly planning the future blueprint for actuarial cooperation. Zhou Qing highly affirmed the over ten years of dedication made by the two universities across the Pacific Ocean, sincerely thanked the teaching staff who have contributed to the cooperation and extended welcome to American students to come to Ningbo University for exchange. The American side pleasantly accepted the invitation for the 40^th anniversary celebration of our university. In addition, the College of Business, College of Music and College of Computer Sciences of MTSU have also expressed strong willingness to cooperate with our university.

Accompanying the visit were persons in charge of Office of Academic Affairs, College of Music, and School of Mathematics and Statistics of Ningbo University.