On May 26, 2025, Dr. Carmel Mevorach and a delegation from the University of Birmingham visited the School of Psychology at Shenzhen University to promote a joint training and collaboration program between the two institutions. The meeting was attended by Dean Qi Chen, Vice Deans Tianyou Guo and Peng Li, and Assistant Dean Shuo Zhao, and was chaired by Dean Chen.
Dean Qi Chen extended a warm welcome on behalf of the faculty and students to Dr. Carmel Mevorach and the delegation from the University of Birmingham. He provided an overview of the School of Psychology, highlighting its rapid development since its establishment. In 2025, two disciplines led by the school—Neuroscience and Behavior and Psychiatry and Psychology—were both ranked within the top 0.5% globally in the ESI (Essential Science Indicators).
Vice Dean Peng Li gave a detailed introduction to the graduate training programs at both the master's and doctoral levels, covering a wide range of aspects. He began by highlighting the faculty strength, noting that the School has assembled a highly qualified and professionally diverse team of supervisors capable of providing strong academic guidance and support for graduate students. He then presented data on the number and composition of current master's and Ph.D. students, as well as their achievements in research and scholarships, demonstrating a steady increase in both the scale and quality of graduate admissions in recent years. In addition, he provided a comprehensive overview of the training curriculum, including coursework and practical components, emphasizing the program’s focus on enhancing students’ innovation capacity and overall competence. Finally, Vice Dean Li shared information on graduate employment outcomes, noting that most graduates pursue careers in universities, research institutions, and leading enterprises, with the overall employment outlook remaining strong.
Vice Dean Tianyou Guo provided an overview of the School’s development history, disciplinary orientation, faculty structure, research platforms and laboratories, teaching conditions, and international collaborations. He noted that the School of Psychology is positioned as a top-tier discipline with national recognition and distinctive features. Currently, it has established four major areas of strength: cognitive neuroscience, emotion and health psychology, developmental and educational psychology, and psychometrics and applied psychology.He gave a detailed introduction to the curriculum structure, talent training models, and career prospects of the Psychology Program (including the Excellence Track) and the Psychology Program (Brain and Cognitive Science Track). He emphasized that the core logic of the Brain and Cognitive Science training program lies in building a strong foundation in science, reinforcing psychology as a core discipline, promoting interdisciplinary integration with artificial intelligence, and deepening the fusion of research and application.Vice Dean Guo highlighted the increasingly diversified career pathways available to psychology graduates, noting the discipline's promising development prospects.
Dr. Carmel Mevorach provided an overview of the University of Birmingham. Established in 1965 on the foundation of its original Department of Psychology, the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham is one of the earliest psychology departments in the UK. The purpose of this visit to the School of Psychology at Shenzhen University was to promote a joint training program between the two institutions. The collaboration includes four models:
1. 2+2 Undergraduate Program：Students complete two years of undergraduate study at Shenzhen University and two years at the University of Birmingham.
2. 4+1 Undergraduate–Postgraduate Program：Students complete their undergraduate studies at Shenzhen University and then apply for postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham through this program.
3. 1+1+1 Postgraduate Program：Students spend the first year of their master’s program at Shenzhen University, the second year at the University of Birmingham, and return to Shenzhen University for the third year.
4. Summer School Program：Current graduate students at Shenzhen University may apply to participate in a six-week summer school hosted by the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham, engaging in research with local academic teams.
During the discussion session, both parties engaged in in-depth exchanges on the details of the joint training programs. Dean Qi Chen expressed his hope that this visit would further advance collaboration in areas such as educational innovation, laying a solid foundation for future cooperation and development. He also expressed great anticipation for broader and deeper exchanges with the University of Birmingham in the years to come.
