BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), one of Australia's leading universities, is upbeat about accelerating technology and innovation cooperation with China's research institutes and businesses given the country's steady economic expansion and growth potential.
"As a global university, we will certainly look to China's enormous economy and rapid pace of development in almost every sector, whether it is higher education or business," said Ian Jacobs, president and vice-chancellor of the university, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.
China and Australia saw an increasingly strong partnership in science and technology over the years with China making great efforts to strengthen its research capabilities.
Official data showed China's spending on research and development rose 11.8 percent year on year to 1.97 trillion yuan (about 278 billion U.S. dollars) in 2018, hitting a record high to 2.19 percent of its GDP.
Jacobs said the UNSW Sydney is committed to further promoting China-Australia research cooperation.
The university's Torch Innovation Precinct, inspired by the Torch Program of China's Ministry of Science and Technology which created more than 150 high-tech zones across the country, was the first Torch-branded program outside China and had led to 77 million Australian dollars (about 52 million U.S. dollars) worth of contracts between UNSW Sydney and 70 Chinese businesses, according to Jacobs.
The university also established a China Center in partnership with Shanghai Yangpu District government last year to further improve engagement with Chinese universities and industries.
"We want to have many more innovation hubs and partnerships in China. And we also want to have an innovation hub at UNSW Sydney, which will be a location where Chinese businesses work with our researchers and with Australian businesses," said Jacobs.
