On March 16, a delegation representing the global biopharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, alongside scholars from King’s College London (KCL), the University of Glasgow, and the University of Oxford, visited the School of Life Science and Technology (SLST) at ShanghaiTech University. The visit aimed to deepen the China-UK dialogue in frontier biomedical fields, explore collaborative models for industry-academia-research innovation, and collectively advance the life sciences industry.
Luo Zhenge, vice president of ShanghaiTech and Chair Professor of the SLST, delivered the welcoming remarks. Hu Ji, vice dean of the SLST, presented the school’s strategy for discipline development, student cultivation, and international cooperation.
Representatives from all parties shared their insights on research frontiers, innovation platforms, and collaborative visions.
AstraZeneca: Shaun Grady, chair of AstraZeneca UK, shared the company’s core values and its strategic positioning in transformative technology platforms, including gene and cell therapy and immuno-oncology. In collaboration with the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, the University of Glasgow, King’s College London, and HSBC, AstraZeneca is advancing initiatives to bridge the innovation ecosystems of Shanghai and the UK. By focusing on joint scientific and clinical research, the initiative aims to accelerate the development of innovative solutions for global health challenges. It also seeks to support business development, accelerate the growth of startups and scale-ups, provide financing support, and expand market access to help Shanghai-based innovations reach global patients.
King’s College London: Michael Malim, senior vice dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, introduced the faculty’s comprehensive strength and international vision. Professor Robin Ali highlighted the university’s prowess in advancing therapies from basic research to industrial translation.
University of Glasgow: Professor Carl Goodyear showcased the university’s unique advantages in life sciences, focusing on platforms that accelerate the transition from scientific discovery to patient benefit.
University of Oxford: Professor Tao Dong provided a systematic overview of Oxford’s life science institutional framework and presented highlights of her research in immunology.
During the session, SLST professors including Luo Zhenge, Hu Ji, Shen Wei, Bai Fang, Zhong Guisheng, Qi Wei, Fan Gaofeng, and Chen Jia presented their labs’ latest progress in cutting-edge fields such as gene editing, synthetic biology, cell therapy, immunology, and AI-aided drug design.
The participants discussed on topics including implementing collaborative frameworks, promoting student exchange, and addressing challenges in new drug development. This event successfully established an efficient and practical platform for international exchange, laying a solid foundation for substantive, multi-level cooperation between ShanghaiTech, the Shanghai biomedical industry, AstraZeneca, and British academic institutions.