ONE of the region's universities has signed an agreement with a counterpart in China to improve relations between the two.

Staff from Sunderland University and Wuhan University have agreed to student exchanges, and to carry out joint research between the two institutions' media schools.

Six officials from the Chinese university have visited Wearside to see the recently opened media centre.

Dr Luke Hockley, the associate dean of media at Sunderland, said: "We are delighted to be working with Wuhan University, one of the best universities in China.

"The agreement is important for a number of reasons, not least because it shows the level of research at Sunderland. It proves that we are carrying out world-class research."