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Invitations to collaboration: LSE and Asian partners chart new ground together

Tuesday 29 September 2026
A group of individuals pose in a line for a photo in front of a screen that says 'Welcome LSE to Tencent.'
Professor Larry Kramer (fifth from the left) and Dr Brendan Smith (sixth from the left) at the Tencent Headquarters, Shenzhen. Photo credit: Tencent

At the beginning of September 2026, a senior delegation of representatives from LSE travelled across Asia to strengthen existing relationships and explore collaboration with the region’s leading universities.

Led by LSE’s President and Vice Chancellor, Professor Larry Kramer and joined by the Vice President and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research), Professor Susana Mourato, the Vice President and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education), Professor Emma McCoy, and the Associate Vice President (Education) Ms Leila Guerra, the delegation visited partners and prospective collaborators, alumni, friends and supporters in Singapore, Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Dr Brendan Smith and Dr Mengxi Pang joined this visit representing the International Strategy and Academic Partnerships team.

Throughout the trip, the LSE delegation engaged in a series of high-level discussions focused on the future of work, artificial intelligence, lifelong learning, and the evolving role of universities in addressing these shared challenges. The delegation also strengthened our ties with volunteers and alumni who make a real difference in the region through discussions over a number of engagement events, including a roundtable on Future Cities, evening alumni receptions and bespoke events with members of the LSE Women’s Alumni Network.

Singapore: Joint Research, Shared Futures

To kick off the visit, LSE and Singapore Management University (SMU) celebrated the launch of our joint research seed fund, dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary research across Urban Sustainability, AI and the Future of Work, and Longevity and Healthy Ageing.

LSE President and Vice Chancellor, Professor Larry Kramer, and SMU President, Professor Lily Kong, took part in an official signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding. During the event, research projects awarded under the inaugural LSE-SMU joint seed fund were announced. Over the next year, the joint seed fund will advance cutting-edge research in the UK, Singapore and beyond.

After, the institutional leaders had the opportunity to discuss the role of universities in an increasingly fragmented world in a fireside chat. Both leaders agreed that in a disjointed world, it is the responsibility of universities to evolve with changing and complex landscapes for the betterment of society.

Larry Kramer sitting on a chair on stage alongside SMU officials, speaking into a microphone at the SMU-LSE Global Forum.
1/3 The Forum brought together more than 150 participants, including diplomatic representatives, industry leaders, faculty and alumni from both universities. Photo credit: SMU
Larry Kramer sitting on a chair on stage alongside SMU officials, speaking into a microphone at the SMU-LSE Global Forum.
A photo of the crowd at the LSE-SMU Global Forum.
A photo of senior officials from LSE, SMU, Singapore's Ministry of National Development & Ministry of Transport, and the UK High Commissioner to Singapore.

The delegation also met with colleagues at the Singapore Institute of Management, National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). These visits provided an opportunity to discuss potential collaboration across research, education, and lifelong learning with top Singaporean institutions.

LSE is proud to celebrate our history of collaborative research with NUS and NTU, including recent publications on environmental impacts of solar panel production in Southeast Asia and the social cost of power lines in neighborhoods.

Individuals sitting at a long table in a meeting room watching a presentation.
1/2 LSE was delighted to visit colleagues at NUS and NTU and have high-level conversations about future collaboration. Photo credit: NTU and NUS
Individuals sitting at a long table in a meeting room watching a presentation.
Six individuals posing in front of NUS's Central Library holding NUS themed gift bags.

Hong Kong: Strengthening Longstanding Relationships

While in Hong Kong, the LSE delegation engaged with existing institutional partners. This includes the University of Hong Kong (HKU), Hong Kong’s oldest tertiary institution, to learn about latest developments and future priorities. LSE currently offers undergraduate exchange opportunities with HKU, allowing to study at a leading institution in Hong Kong for a year.

The delegation also met with colleagues at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), where the HKUST Provost, Professor Guo Yike, demonstrated HKGAI, Hong Kong’s flagship AI tool, to the LSE delegation. This meeting follows HKUST’s recent visit to LSE in Spring 2026, where leadership explored synergy in interdisciplinary education offerings.

Additionally, LSE met with colleagues from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council and the City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) to learn more about their new Institute of Future Learning and how universities can implement innovation in the classroom, alongside other collaborative initiatives in education and research.

15 individuals posing at the LSE Hong Kong Alumni event.
1/4 LSE met with selected alumni and friends across Hong Kong over a thematic working lunch discussion on AI and Future Technologies.
15 individuals posing at the LSE Hong Kong Alumni event.
LSE's Professor Susana Mourato posing with Provost of HKUST, Professor Guo Yike, in front of a screen that says 'Welcome to HKGAI.'
A group of 14 individuals posing in front of a banner that says 'The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.'
11 individuals posing in front of a wall with the 'City University of Hong Kong' and 'Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study' logo.

Shenzhen: Exploring New Opportunities

The delegation's programme concluded in Shenzhen, one of China's leading hubs for innovation and technological development. As LSE’s first visit to the city, the conversations represented opportunities for future regional collaborations.

Visits to institutions, including the Tsinghua University's Shenzhen International Graduate School and Peking University’s HSBC Business School, offered valuable insight into developments in research, innovation and higher education across the region. The delegation also visited Tencent and UBTech to better understand how the social sciences can be used to navigate emerging technology.

A group of nine individuals posed in front of a wall with the Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School logo.
LSE were delighted to meet with Tsinghua colleagues, including Professor Wong Tien Yin (fourth from the left), Professor Ouyang Zheng (fourth from the right) and Professor Zhang Zongjiu (third from the right).

President Larry Kramer also visited the Harrow International School Shenzhen to give a talk, The Role of the Social Sciences, focusing on AI and future of humanity.

LSE President Larry Kramer posing with an individual at the LSE Alumni Association China event.
1/2 Following the trip’s central theme, the LSE delegation had fruitful conversations across institutions on how the social sciences can improve the application and governance of AI and other technology. Photo credit: LSE Alumni Association China and LSE Shenzhen Alumni Association
LSE President Larry Kramer posing with an individual at the LSE Alumni Association China event.
Dr Mengxi Pang, member of LSE's International Strategy and Academic Partnerships team, poses with LSE's Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research), Susana Mourato.

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