Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and 17 prestigious universities on the Chinese mainland co-hosted a university presidents forum with Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) via video conference on June 30. It was followed by an agreement signing ceremony.

A university presidents forum and agreement signing ceremony co-organized by BFSU, 17 universities on the Chinese mainland and HKBU is held via video conference on June 30. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

Under the theme "Collaborating for a Brilliant New Chapter", the event reviewed the close relationship and fruitful results made by universities on the Chinese mainland and in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region over the past 25 years since Hong Kong's return in 1997. They looked forward to their cooperation on teaching, research and interschool exchanges to open a new chapter in the innovation and development of China’s higher education.

Jia Wenjian, deputy Party secretary of the CPC BFSU committee and vice-president of the university, attends the signing ceremony.  [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

In his speech, Jia Wenjian, deputy Party secretary of the CPC BFSU committee and vice-president of the university, said BFSU will carry forward the Yan'an spirit, which has become a significant component of the Party's philosophy, serve national strategies and fuel its development by promoting talents, academic research and global cooperation.

The university will implement its global development strategy, known as BFSU CREATE (Global Connection, Reputation, Educators, Academic Research, Talents and Eco-campus), and remain committed to be a world-class foreign languages university. Noting that the COVID-19 pandemic is still raging across the world and profound changes unseen in a century are evolving with an accelerated pace, Jia stressed the global consensus to build a community with a shared future for mankind and promote the Belt and Road Initiative.

The realization of the consensus requires a large number of versatile talents, who show concerns about national development with a global mindset and solid professional knowledge to make Chinese voice heard and strengthen exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations, Jia added.

Alexander Ping-kong Wai, president and vice-chancellor of HKBU, said that since Hong Kong's return to China in 1997, the SAR has been committed to deepening collaboration and integration with the Chinese mainland in higher education to foster talents, innovators and entrepreneurs of different disciplines, and advancing the frontiers of professional knowledge and cutting-edge technologies, which have sustained the country's robust socio-economic growth.

He called for closer cooperation between HKBU and mainland universities on the cultivation of cross-disciplinary talents who are capable of responding to challenges in the future.

BFSU enjoys a long history of cooperating with HKBU and both are members of the Beijing-Hong Kong Universities Alliance. The two universities have made important achievements in talent training, inter-university exchanges, teaching and research.

Representatives of universities present cooperation agreements with their signatures. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

Senior officials from the participating universities speak at the forum. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

The event also drew the attendance of Liu Jin, director of the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs at the Ministry of Education; Xu Kai, deputy head of the Department of Education and Technology at the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR; Choi Yuk-lin, Under Secretary for Education of the HKSAR government; senior officials from 17 top mainland universities; and He Jing and Li Maolin, head and deputy head of the Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Affairs Office at BFSU.

On the sidelines of the forum, Renmin University of China presided over the 2022 Council Meeting of the Beijing-Hong Kong Universities Alliance.

During the virtual gathering, BFSU and other group members of the alliance exchanged views over the utilization of their own strengths to deepen ties among universities in Beijing and Hong Kong on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return.