During the December visit, staff from several of the University's academic Schools and the International Officers were joined by representatives from Invest Northern Ireland at Shanghai and Guangzhou.  The Invest Northern Ireland trade mission, the largest in 2009 from a United Kingdom region to China, is aimed at promoting trade and other links betweeen Northern Ireland and China.

As part of their visit Queen's staff from the Management School, School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, and the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering visited universities, including South China Agricultural University, Shenzhen University, Soochow University, Tianjin University of Commerce, Jilin University, Inner Mongolia Normal University.

In March, representatives from Queen's will attend an education exhibition in Beijing, Chongqing, Qingdaom, while an agent from Queen's will visit Guangzhou: Shenzhen University, Soochow University in July.

Another Invest NI trade mission will take place in November 2010.