LAUNCH CEREMONY: Faculty and staff of the University of Westminster open an office in Beijing on April 26 (CHEN RAN)

London's University of Westminster seeks to promote student exchange in China.

Westminster faculty and staff attended a launch ceremony for the university's China Office in Beijing on April 26.

"We want to engage with China on multiple levels. We want to have real partnership with China not only in teaching and academic research areas, but more importantly in people-to-people and cultural exchanges among students and staff," Vice-Chancellor Geoffrey Petts told Beijing Review.

During his speech, Petts said the university's association with China has an important place in its history.

In 1977, the university, then known as Polytechnic of Central London, signed an agreement with the Chinese Ministry of Education for student exchange. Since the program began, over 500 scholars from across China have received training at Westminster and have returned to China to foster ever stronger UK-Sino relations, Petts noted.

In addition to its current generous international scholarship scheme, which will remain open to all nationalities, a special scholarship fund of over £100,000 will be available for Chinese students from September 2014.