LONDON — Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College (BNBU) marked a significant milestone in its global expansion on Thursday with the official opening of its London Center.
The unveiling ceremony, held at the historic Oxford and Cambridge Club, brought together academic leaders, distinguished guests, and institutional partners to celebrate BNBU’s latest step in strengthening its international academic presence.
The BNBU London Center will serve as a hub for academic exchange, featuring three key platforms: the Center for Mathematics and Statistics, the Center for Cultural Heritage and Global Communication, and the Center for Business and Economics. Coinciding with the center’s launch, the BNBU Alumni Association of the United Kingdom was also established to connect graduates across Britain and support their ongoing academic and professional development.
“The BNBU London Center is to build a bridge — one that connects East and West,” BNBU President Chen Zhi said, expressing hope that the new center will serve as an engine for cross-border research and academic exchange.
Wang Qi, minister counselor and minister of the Chinese embassy in the UK, recognized BNBU as a pioneering model for higher education cooperation between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, and expressed hope that the center will become a new platform for talent development, academic collaboration, and robust exchanges between China and the UK.
The London Center is BNBU’s second overseas hub, following the establishment of its Boston Center in 2025. The London Center aims to provide academic support, career guidance, and networking opportunities for BNBU’s expanding UK-based student community, which includes about 400 students currently in London. The UK, and London in particular, is a major destination for BNBU students, with about 600 studying in the country each year.
Zhang Qifan, a BNBU graduate of the Class of 2023 who was recently admitted to the University of Oxford for doctoral studies after completing his master’s at Yale University, credited BNBU for shaping his worldview and his understanding of what it means to be a global citizen grounded in Chinese culture.
The center will also act as a strategic base, linking BNBU and its parent institutions — Beijing Normal University and Hong Kong Baptist University — with the UK’s academic and innovation ecosystem.
Kennedy Wong Ying-ho, chairman of the Council and the Court of Hong Kong Baptist University, said he expects the center to deepen cooperation with the UK’s academic, cultural, and industrial communities. HKBU will continue to support BNBU’s development and uphold the highest standards in the center’s construction and operation, he added.
HKBU Provost Martin Wong Ding-fak expressed his hope that the London Center will become a vibrant hub for knowledge creation and talent cultivation.
During the ceremony, BNBU signed memorandums of understanding with several European universities, including King’s College London; Royal Holloway, the University of London; Liverpool Hope University, in northwestern England; EAE Business School; in Spain, Karlshochschule International University, in southwestern Germany; and Sciences Po Lyon, in southeastern France.
Professor Funmi Olonisakin, vice-president (international, engagement and service) of King’s College London, described the partnership with BNBU as productive and enduring, with great potential for further expansion.
