At the invitation of Mr. Steve Watkins, Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, a delegation from Jingdezhen Ceramic University, led by Mr. Lü Pinchang, Deputy Party Secretary and Vice President (Acting President), visited the Stoke-on-Trent City Council on September 5, 2025. The delegation received a warm welcome from Mayor Watkins, his wife, and senior municipal officials.
During the welcome ceremony, Mayor Watkins delivered a cordial speech, highlighting the long history of Stoke and the centenary of its city charter. He emphasized Stoke’s commitment to promoting cultural exchange and cooperation, particularly in the inheritance and innovation of ceramic industry and culture. He expressed his hope to strengthen collaboration with Jingdezhen Ceramic University in the future.
On behalf of the university, Mr. Lü Pinchang extended heartfelt thanks to Mayor Watkins for his gracious invitation and hospitality. He introduced the century-long history and achievements of Jingdezhen Ceramic University, especially its longstanding commitment and accomplishments in“revitalizing and promoting Chinese ceramic culture”.
Both sides agreed that Jingdezhen and Stoke share asimilar ceramic cultural history, and that Jingdezhen Ceramic University and Staffordshire University share a common mission in talent cultivation. They expressed confidence that the two sides would develop closer cooperation in areas such as talent training, cultural heritage preservation, and international exchange. Together, they aim to advance Sino-British ceramic cultural exchange, foster dialogue between Eastern and Western civilizations, and contribute to the prosperity and development of global ceramic culture.
Representatives from the Oriental Ceramic Society of Jingdezhen, the Tang Ying Society, the Jingdezhen Export Porcelain Museum, and Jiangxi Television also attended the ceremony.
