HUN-REN Strengthens Ties with Nanjing University

Scientific cooperation between the two institutions already has a firm foundation. In 2025, Nanjing University and the HUN-REN Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science signed an inter-institutional cooperation agreement in the fields of Earth sciences and geology, reflecting the substantial overlap between their research profiles. Professor Sierd Cloetingh, an internationally renowned Earth scientist and Scientific Adviser at the HUN-REN Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science, played an important role in establishing the partnership and shaping its scientific foundations.

One of the aims of the latest meeting was to build on this existing cooperation and extend it into new fields of research. A key topic was the possibility of establishing a jointly designed seed funding scheme. The proposed programme would encourage collaboration between researchers at HUN-REN research institutes and Nanjing University and support the development of joint research projects that could later form the basis of larger Hungarian or international funding proposals.

During the meeting, the delegation led by Professor Tan Tieniu, a member of Nanjing University’s senior leadership, gave a detailed presentation on the university’s development model built around scientific excellence, its research capacity and campuses, as well as its innovation ecosystem, which closely connects the university with research institutes, technology companies and industry partners.

Building on their existing institutional links, the two sides aim to launch further joint research initiatives and strengthen long-term scientific cooperation between the research network of HUN-REN and Nanjing University.

Founded in 1902, Nanjing University is one of China’s oldest and most prestigious research universities. It is a member of the C9 League, which brings together some of China’s leading higher education institutions, and is also part of the country’s flagship Double First-Class initiative for higher education development. The university consistently ranks among the world’s leading higher education institutions and is particularly strong in fundamental research, the natural sciences, engineering, the social sciences and the humanities.