Academics take a trip down memory lane

Two international professors who studied at Teesside over 15 years ago have re-visited the University and say they can’t believe how much it has changed.

Husband and wife Enmin Song and Hong Liu completed their PhDs in Electronics Engineering at Teesside University in 1999.

They now both work together as Professors at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China.

The couple, who married in 1986, have fond memories of their time studying at Teesside and have kept in touch with staff ever since.

They returned to the University to meet old friends, tour the new facilities and discuss potential research collaborations.

Professor Song said: 'We are only here for two days but it is fantastic to see how much the University has changed.

'There has been a lot of development and the new buildings are very impressive. There are more students and a greater breadth of research and the chance to work together again is very exciting.'

Professor Liu added: 'We both have very happy memories of our time here and it is great to be back. We loved studying here, the Students’ Union was amazing, the people were really friendly and the staff were extremely knowledgeable and worked hard.'

Professors Song and Liu worked together in America before studying at Teesside. Dr Donglai Xu, a Reader in Teesside University’s School of Science & Engineering, helped to supervise the work of the professors during their PhD studies. He said: 'It is great to see them both back here after all this time. We have always kept in touch and I have been over to see them in China a number of times to work together on various projects.

'Collaborative work with international partners is very important as it raises the profile of the University and brings additional insight into the work we are doing.'

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