Recently, Professor Juliette MacDonald, International Dean of the Shanghai International College of Fashion and Innovation at Donghua University, was honored with the title of "Hongqiao Friendship Alliance -- Friendship Star" by the Changning District of Shanghai, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to promoting international exchanges and regional cooperation.
As a key driver of the college's international development, Professor Juliette MacDonald has long been dedicated to strengthening cooperation between China and the UK in fashion and creative education. She is one of the founders of the collaborative program between Donghua University and the University of Edinburgh. Through her efforts, the Shanghai International College of Fashion and Innovation at Donghua University was awarded the "China-Scotland Educational Innovation Award" in 2020. Actively responding to the "Belt and Road" initiative, she facilitated the University of Edinburgh's membership in the "International Textile Universities Alliance for the Belt and Road," an alliance initiated by Donghua University.
In addition, she has been a strong advocate for sustainable fashion, contributing to the development of related theoretical frameworks and academic disciplines. She also participated in interdisciplinary projects such as the "Tech Qipao," with the results showcased at the Edinburgh Art Festival for four consecutive years and featured in national-level exhibitions. Professor Juliette MacDonald was awarded the inaugural "Hongqiao Friendship Award" by Changning District in 2020, becoming the only foreign expert from the higher education sector to receive this honor that year. This recent recognition as a "Hongqiao Friendship Alliance -- Friendship Star" not only reflects her enduring influence in promoting Sino-foreign cultural and educational cooperation but also highlights the strong collaborative dynamic between Changning District and higher education institutions.
In October 2020, Changning District established the "Hongqiao Friendship Award," marking the first district-level initiative in Shanghai dedicated to recognizing outstanding foreign individuals. Concurrently, the district also launched the "Hongqiao Friendship Alliance," the city's first district-level exchange platform for exceptional expatriates from various sectors. Since its inception, members of the Hongqiao Friendship Alliance have received numerous honors and achieved remarkable accomplishments in areas such as economic development, international cooperation, and social welfare. At the same time, alliance members have been actively leveraging their strengths and fully utilizing the influence of the Hongqiao Friendship Alliance to substantially contribute to Changning's economic and social development, digital transformation, and enhancement of its soft power.
