From November 25th to December 2nd, Vice President Xu Xiaodong led a delegation to Japan and South Korea. The delegation attended the 13th Forum for Chinese and Japanese University Presidents and visited universities such as Yonsei University, Sungkyunkwan University and Kyung Hee University.
The 13th Forum for Chinese and Japanese University Presidents was held in Hiroshima, Japan, from November 28th to 29th. The forum was coordinated by the University of Tokyo and Peking University, and hosted by Hiroshima University around the theme “Diversity and Integration: The Required Talents and Higher Education in the Future”. Wu Jianghao, Chinese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan, Masao Nishijo, Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Office Reviewer, Gong Qihuang, President of Peking University, as well as more than 160 representatives from over 40 universities, government organizations and academic institutions in China and Japan attended the forum.
13th Forum for Chinese and Japanese University Presidents group photo
Xu Xiaodong delivered a speech themed “Digital Transformation of Higher Education—Exploration and Practice in Huazhong University of Science and Technology”. He stated that HUST had set an overall goal to build a new generation of “smart campuses” in the post-pandemic era. He also shared HUST’s reforms and practices in innovative management and interdisciplinary integration. He emphasized that HUST will continue to enhance its collaboration with Japanese universities in talent training, technical innovation and campus governance, jointly contributing to accelerating the digital transformation of higher education.
Xu Xiaodong delivers a keynote speech
At this forum, all attending universities unanimously agreed that the 14th Forum for Chinese and Japanese University Presidents will be held at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2025. Xu Xiaodong delivered a speech as representative of the host university for the next forum, stating that HUST will keep promoting academic exchange between Chinese and Japanese universities and do their upmost to ensure that the next forum is a success. He also invited representatives from Chinese and Japanese universities to discuss new issues in the field of higher education.
Xu Xiaodong delivers a speech at the forum
During the forum, the HUST delegation exchanged views with relevant representatives and reached a consensus on further cooperation in student exchange and disciplinary cooperation.
Xu Xiaodong held cooperation negotiations with Dong-Hun Kim, Vice President of the Office of International Affairs at Yonsei University. He stated that Yonsei University is a top research-oriented institution in South Korea as well as an important partner of HUST. The two universities signed their first cooperative agreement in 2010 and looked forward to further strengthening student exchange and research collaboration. Dong-Hun Kim congratulated HUST on its development in recent years, expecting to explore more potential for cooperation.
Xu Xiaodong and Dong-Hun Kim
Xu Xiaodong held friendly talks with Hanjung Lee, Vice President of International Affairs at Sungkyunkwan University, and Pil Jin Yoo, Vice President of Planning and Coordination at Sungkyunkwan University. Xu Xiaodong reviewed the solid foundation for cooperation in the field of chemistry and other disciplines in recent years, and expected more communication and all-round cooperation. Hanjung Lee and Pil Jin Yoo highly praised the partnership between the two universities, stating that the two sides share similar advantages and yielded fruitful results. Both sides hoped to further expand cooperation and deepen friendship.
HUST delegation in Sungkyunkwan University
Xu Xiaodong held in-depth discussions with Kwon Ohbyung, Dean of Academic Affairs at Kyung Hee University. He stated that Kyung Hee University is a renowned private university in South Korea, which has advanced experience and practices in internationalization strategy. He hoped to take this visit as an opportunity to establish a formal cooperative relationship with the university. Kwon Ohbyung said that HUST is a leading university and Kyung Hee University looks forward to promoting student exchange and other cooperative projects as soon as possible.
HUST delegation at Kyung Hee University
In the University of Tokyo, Fumihito Arai, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, welcomed and thanked the HUST delegation for their visit. He gave a comprehensive introduction to the School of Engineering and looked forward to further cooperation. Xu Xiaodong thanked him for his long-term support for cooperation between the two universities. He hoped that both sides can enhance personnel visits and academic cooperation in the engineering disciplines, and reach a mutually-beneficial consensus.
HUST delegation and Fumihito Arai at the biorobotics laboratory of the University of Tokyo
The HUST delegation also participated in the “12th East Lake International Forum for Overseas Young Scholars” in Tokyo and the Japanese Alumni Association Exchange Event.
Xu Xiaodong at the “12th East Lake International Forum for Overseas Young Scholars” in Tokyo
Written by: Jiang Lexue
Edited by: Yu Shiyun, Chang Wen, Peng Yumeng
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