On September 7, 2015, after delivering the excellent lecture, “The accelerating universe: A Nobel Prize millennium in the making” at the Yingjie Exchange Center, the 2011 Physics Nobel Prize winner, Professor Brian Schmidt from Australian National University, visited KIAA and had an in-depth discussion with professors of KIAA and DoA.
The director of KIAA, Luis Ho, introduced to Brian Schmidt the research strengths, the future development plan of KIAA, and the status of astronomy in China. Professor Schmidt expressed high expectations for cooperation in astronomy research between KIAA and Australian National University. He proposed a number of ideas about cooperation, including a five-year dual-degree program for postgraduates and a fourth-year exchange program for undergraduates. He also mentioned that the two countries have a lot of cooperation possibilities in the field of astronomy research. China has a fairly ambitious plan in astronomy instrumentation; Australia can provide China with considerable experience and technology in this respect.
As the next president of Australian National University, Professor Schmidt also exchanged views on building a world-class university with KIAA and DoA professors.
The discussion lasted for about one hour. The two sides agreed to cooperate effectively in a wide range in astronomy research and talent training in the near future.
