On the morning of March 23, a delegation from the University of British Columbia (UBC), led by Professor Robert Kozak, Dean of the Faculty of Forestry, visited NEFU's Hainan International College for research and exchange. Sun Long, a member of the university’s Party Standing Committee, Vice President, and Secretary of the Party Committee of the College of Forestry, attended the meeting. The meeting was chaired by Liu Zhiming, Dean of NEFU’s Hainan International College.

At the meeting, Sun Long said that Northeast Forestry University has a solid foundation in forestry science and in the development of ecological civilization. The university is actively advancing the development of Hainan International College, aiming to leverage the policy and geographical advantages of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the Pacesetting Island for International-Oriented Education to build a high-level platform for international education. He noted that the proposed joint programs align well with both sides’ strengths. With a strong foundation in international cooperation and smooth preliminary exchanges, the two sides have broad prospects for collaboration. He expressed the hope that this meeting would be an opportunity for both sides to integrate high-quality educational resources further and deepen cooperation in areas such as joint curriculum development, faculty exchange, and joint student training, thereby expanding the scope and depth of cooperation and jointly contributing to global forestry development and ecological civilization.

Professor Robert Kozak said that UBC has extensive experience in forestry and environmental management, spanning both teaching and research. He expressed the expectation that both sides will engage in multi-level cooperation, drawing on their respective strengths, to promote the internationalization of forestry education jointly.

Liu Zhiming introduced the Hainan Lingshui Li’an International Education Innovation Pilot Zone, outlining its development positioning, distinctive advantages, and the NEFU Hainan International College’s international education layout, with a focus on the proposed cooperative education institution with UBC. Zhang Peng, Dean of the College of Forestry, presented NEFU’s disciplinary development, talent cultivation, and research achievements, highlighting strengths in forest resource cultivation, ecological protection, and restoration.

On the afternoon of March 23, Liu Ming, a member of the Party Committee, the Secretary of the Commission for Discipline Inspection, and the Executive Deputy Director of the Administrative Bureau of the pilot zone, accompanied the UBC delegation on a site visit. They toured teaching facilities, faculty apartments, student living areas, and the library to gain a better understanding of the zone’s educational conditions and development achievements. A meeting was also held, during which the parties held in-depth discussions on teaching service concepts, logistical support systems, and the “five mutuals and one joint” operational mechanism, covering disciplinary integration, interdisciplinary exchange, course sharing, credit recognition, mutual learning, and joint governance.

After two days of exchanges and consultations, the two sides reached a consensus on key matters, including the proposed institution's name, academic programs, program levels and training models, basic requirements for dual student registration, and the duration of cooperation. Detailed discussions also covered the articles of association, the cooperation agreement, and financial management arrangements, further solidifying that consensus.

This exchange has laid a solid foundation for substantive cooperation between the two sides. The UBC delegation stated that it will accelerate preparations for the joint institution’s application and the development of talent-cultivation programs to promote the high-quality international development of forestry education.

Representatives from the NEFU Hainan International College, the College of Forestry, the Office of International Cooperation, and other units also joined the visit.