Witnessed by distinguished Chinese and foreign guests including Taoiseach Micheál Martin of Ireland, H.E. Ann Derwin, Ambassador of Ireland to China, Marcella O’Connor, Asia Director of Enterprise Ireland, and Liu Limin, President of the China Education International Exchange Association, Li Zhihong, Vice President of Central South University, and Professor Alexander Metcalfe, Vice President for Global Affairs of the University of Galway, officially renewed the cooperation agreement on doctoral programs. This milestone further consolidated and deepened the partnership between the two universities in medical education and scientific research.

Xiangya School of Medicine boasts a long-standing and solid cooperative relationship with the University of Galway. The two sides first signed the doctoral training agreement in November 2020, under which medical students are selected annually to pursue doctoral degrees at the University of Galway. In 2021, this joint program was approved as an innovative project by the China Scholarship Council (CSC), and secured continuous rolling funding in 2024. To date, nearly 50 Xiangya medical students have pursued further studies at the University of Galway with CSC financial support, engaging in cutting-edge medical research fields such as regenerative medicine and stem cell research. The two institutions have established a long-term, stable and high-quality cooperation framework.

The renewal of the agreement represents a vital step for both universities to align with the development trend of Sino-Irish higher education cooperation and advance collaborative innovation in medical education and research. It will further expand exchanges in student training and academic communication, empowering the school to cultivate high-caliber medical talents equipped with global vision, innovative research capacity and international academic competitiveness.

During the event, Taoiseach Micheál Martin stressed in his speech that Sino-Irish cooperative education programs constitute an important pillar of the long-standing friendship between the two nations and embody broader bilateral exchanges in culture, trade, investment and people-to-people connectivity. He noted that as a small open economy, education is of paramount importance to Ireland. International education plays an irreplaceable role in nurturing globally-minded citizens, fostering cross-cultural understanding, and building lasting friendships that endure long after graduation. The Taoiseach extended sincere gratitude and congratulations to all Irish and Chinese higher education institutions participating in the partnerships, and expressed Ireland’s willingness to deepen cooperation and friendship with Chinese partners.