• More than 1000 face masks, donated to the University of Warwick from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, will be distributed to care homes across local community
• Warwick and Shanghai Jiao Tong University work together to foster collaborative intercontinental teaching, research, and student mobility

More than 1000 face masks, donated to the University of Warwick by its partner Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) in China, will help protect key workers in care homes across Coventry and Warwickshire.

Warwick is working with NHS community distribution channels to ensure that the entire batch of personal protective equipment is delivered to care homes throughout the local community — where supplies are limited during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The face masks were delivered to Warwick’s School of Engineering, and were a gift from the China-UK Low Carbon College and the UM-SJTU Joint Institute, both of which are units of SJTU.

SJTU is one of the University of Warwick’s key international partners. Together, the two institutions are working to foster collaborative intercontinental teaching and research – in disciplines from global history, to applied linguistics, and engineering.

In May 2019, Warwick and SJTU signed an agreement to expand opportunities for studying abroad, and established a joint seed fund to kick-start new projects with global impact, combining the complementary expertise of both institutions.

Professor Stuart Croft, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Warwick, said:

“The Warwick community is proudly diverse and global, with its roots firmly planted in the region we serve — Coventry and Warwickshire.

“On behalf of the whole community, I thank our partners at Shanghai Jiao Tong University for this gift of vital protective equipment that will help key workers and those most in need during the pandemic.

“We cherish our robust links with China, and the opportunities these open up: from joint research, to student mobility, to generosity like this.

“As world faces its greatest threat in generations, it only is through international friendship, cross-cultural research collaboration, and a commitment to protect our local communities, that we will overcome it together.”

This is one of numerous ways in which the University of Warwick has worked with its Chinese partners to support the fight against COVID-19 in the UK.

Recently, another donation of face masks to the University, from Beijing City University, was given to social care services in North and South Warwickshire, via the NHS Incident Management Teams.

Furthermore, Warwick announced in April that Professors from Warwick’s Department of Engineering have been working with the Association of British Chinese Professors in raising funds to purchase personal protective equipment for ten UK hospitals.

They secured 2400 face masks for hospitals in London, as well as 3500 safety goggles and 7000 full face visors, which were donated to seven hospitals in London, Cambridge, Birmingham and Coventry.

Image: Staff at the University of Warwick's School of Engineering with the face mask delivery from SJTU - credit University of Warwick. Click image for high res.

11 June 2020

For further information, contact:

Luke Walton

International Press Manager

L.Walton.1@warwick.ac.uk

+44 (0) 7823 362 150