The institution, recognized among China's leading universities and a producer of unmanned aerial vehicles, also plans to offer dual-degree programs. In 2024, the leadership of the University of Debrecen and NUAA, one of China’s top 100 key universities, formalized their intent to establish cooperation through an agreement. To discuss the details of the partnership, a NUAA delegation recently visited the University of Debrecen. Vice President Shi Daning and his colleagues were welcomed in the Main Building by Vice-Rector General Károly Pető, Coordination and Strategic Director Okszána Kiszil, and Zsolt Tiba, the Dean's Representative for Foreign Affairs at the Faculty of Engineering.
NUAA ranks in the top 1% of China’s higher education institutions and operates 23 institutes in fields such as aeronautics, energy and power engineering, and mechanical engineering. It also oversees 200 research centers and laboratories, including those dedicated to unmanned aircraft research and helicopter technology.
Since its establishment in 1952, NUAA's researchers, educators, and students have developed over 40 unmanned aerial vehicles for China and contributed to designing the world's largest amphibious aircraft, the "Kun Dragon," which completed its first test flight in 2017. In recognition of its educational and research excellence, NUAA has earned the prestigious Double First Class status, a designation held by only 147 of China's 3,000 higher education institutions.
"Our academic portfolio includes 67 undergraduate, 48 master's, and 21 doctoral programs. Nearly 40,000 students are enrolled at our university, though the number of international students remains low. We aim to improve this, so internationalization is our mission this year," explained Liu Changjiang, Dean of International Education at NUAA.
In line with this goal, Vice President Shi Daning advocated for the implementation of mobility programs at the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels and the launch of dual-degree programs.
"The University of Debrecen is open to expanding student and researcher mobility opportunities and developing and launching dual-degree programs. Successful examples already exist" noted Vice-Rector Károly Pető.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to define the next steps for collaboration. NUAA representatives visited the Faculty of Engineering, where they had a discussion with Prof. Husi Géza, Dean of the Faculty, about developing joint engineering programs. They then visited several laboratories of the faculty.