Motivation

 

Located in China, and more specifically SIP, offers many strategic benefits to Oxford’s research mission through access to state-of-the-art facilities, a research environment enriched by numerous universities and Chinese Academy Institutes, and a substantial company base including more than 90 Fortune 500 companies as well as many hundreds of SMEs.

 

OSCAR will benefit Oxford via:

Proximity to industry and Chinese science and technology institutes

  • OSCAR offers an opportunity to pursue research in a setting where scientific possibilities or potential routes to application are not available in the UK. For example, work on plastic electronics will benefit from proximity to major display screen manufacturers in the Far East (a sector with only one UK company);
  • Closer working with industry will lead to faster adaption of new research into commercially available technologies, accelerating the impact of our research;
  • Researchers will be in a position to collaborate more closely with their Chinese partners, growing Oxford’s relationship with universities, research institutes and high-tech enterprises in China.
  • SIP also offers access to state-of-the-art facilities (e.g. in the adjacent Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics)

 

Access to talented researchers

  • OSCAR provides a vehicle for talented state-funded Chinese national postgraduate research students to return to China whilst continuing their research in collaboration with Oxford-based labs, retaining the skills they developed during their doctoral study;
  • A well-resourced Centre in China will strengthen our position to attract the top-quality students and postdoctoral researchers to work on Oxford-led research projects.

 

OSCAR also offers a window in South East Asia through which Oxford can better showcase its true nature, addressing the perception that many have of Oxford producing politicians and not scientists - OSCAR will demonstrate Oxford's world-leading position in scientific research and innovation.

In the longer term, OSCAR will seek to support academics in medical sciences, the humanities, and social sciences in advancing research programmes in China.