On October 26th, the 9th Council Meeting of Cooperative University Union was held at Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT). Leaders and guests from 11 Sino-foreign cooperative universities with independent legal entity qualification across the country gathered together to discuss the theme of "Innovation and Challenges to Develop Cooperative Universities amid Further Opening-up in Education". The meeting delved into how to comprehensively improve the quality of talent cultivation, and promote high-level educational openness and cooperative education.

Chen Tao, Mayor of Shantou; Wu Jinsong, Level Ⅱ Bureau Rank Official, Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges; Feng Wei, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province; and Gong Xingao, Chancellor of GTIIT, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Hao Zhifeng, President of Shantou University, and Wang Xuezhu, Vice Mayor of Shantou, also participated in the event. The meeting was chaired by Lin Danming, Pro-Vice Chancellor of GTIIT.

Chen Tao, Mayor of Shantou, emphasized that the Cooperative University Union is a proactive practitioner in promoting international academic exchange and collaboration, serving as a crucial platform for driving educational innovation and nurturing international elites. In recent years, the Shantou Municipal Committee of the CPC and the Municipal Government have prioritized education as a strategic focus, and accelerated the construction of a regional education hub that is rooted in Eastern Guangdong and oriented towards the nation. Particularly in the area of Sino-foreign cooperative education, the establishment and development of GTIIT have been a significant driving force, with efforts made to provide maximum support, strive for the best conditions, and offer the best services. Universities such as Shantou University and GTIIT have also fully supported and served the high-quality development of Shantou, contributing high-quality research outcomes and elite talents to the city. He hoped through this meeting, further exchanges and cooperation between universities in the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area can be promoted, conveying good experiences to further support the high-quality operation of GTIIT, opening more windows to get closer to Shantou, and enhancing cooperation in talent cultivation, transformation of research outcomes, and industrial innovation. He also hoped the meeting can further develop the discourse system of Sino-foreign cooperative education, providing vivid examples and exploring innovative paths for the reform and development of higher education in Guangdong and even the whole country.

Feng Wei, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province, pointed out that cooperative universities have carved out their own paths in distinctive education and have also built important platforms for high-level international scientific and technological exchange and cultural exchange. As a frontier of China's reform and opening-up, Guangdong places great emphasis on the opening of education. Looking forward, it will continue to unswervingly accelerate and expand the opening of education, effectively utilizing top-tier international education resources and innovative elements, and actively attracting world-class universities, especially high-level polytechnic universities, to establish campuses in Guangdong. Since the inception of the Sino-Foreign Cooperative University Union, the number of universities involved has been growing. He hoped through this meeting, mutual learning and the leveraging of respective educational characteristics can be strengthened, making greater contributions to high-level educational openness.

Gong Xingao, Chancellor of GTIIT, stated that cooperative education is experiencing unprecedented development opportunities. As the most significant educational cooperation project between China and Israel, GTIIT remains unwavering in its commitment to research-oriented and international education, continuously deepening educational reforms, strengthening scientific research and social service functions, and striving to become an innovator and leader among high-level polytechnic cooperative education institutions. He hoped this meeting could facilitate mutual inspiration and bring common progress. Under the continued development of educational openness, he conveyed his wish for a more open mindset and more practical actions to bravely face challenges and actively seize opportunities, jointly promoting the innovative development of cooperative education.

Keynote Speeches

Chao Qiuling, Party Secretary and Vice President of Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), began with a reflection on education, discussing how university education can keep pace with the times and cultivate talent in line with the needs of the society, and shared the practical experiences of XJTLU in cultivating interdisciplinary and compound talents.

Mao Yaqing, Party Secretary and Vice President of Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, focused on liberal arts education in the era of AI, analyzed the new demands for talent in the AI era, and further shared their initiatives in advancing liberal arts education in the AI era.

Shen Weiqi, Party Secretary of the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, pointed out that to conduct assessment and accreditation of Sino-foreign cooperative universities, diversified quality evaluation methods should be adopted, combining the characteristics of university operation with the characteristics of evaluation, and adhering to international standards for professional talent cultivation.

Ding Shuzhe, Vice President of New York University Shanghai, introduced the university's experience and measures in utilizing relevant platforms to introduce top international scholars and carry out talent cultivation, stating that they will continue to develop under the background of educational openness with the spirit of a striver.

Li Hezhang, Rector of Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, introduced the university's exploration in cultivating talents for cross-cultural communication, conducting international scientific research cooperation, and building an important platform for international exchange, sharing his thoughts on building a high-level cooperative university.

Wang Beijiao, Party Secretary and Chairman of the Board of Wenzhou-Kean University, emphasized the important role of cooperative education in cultivating international talents under the background of educational openness. He discussed the "breaking and establishing" in light of the challenges and innovations in the new era, as well as common issues in universities.

Chen Heng, Assistant to the President of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, presented on "Practice and Prospects of Deepening International Cooperative Education", pointing out that cooperative universities should be built into high-level higher education centers with global influence.

Yang Yang, Associate Vice President of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), elaborated on the development of AI technology, stating that interdisciplinary integration and innovation are the general trend, and further demonstrated the university's approach of breaking traditional disciplinary barriers and cultivating compound AI innovation talents focusing on each student's growth.

Lu Chun, Executive President of City University of Hong Kong (Dongguan), stated that the university, relying on the surrounding high-end innovation resources, will contribute to the construction of a high-level international talent highland in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, promoting local economic sustainable development, and advancing educational cooperation and exchange between Guangdong and Hong Kong.

Liu Yaolin, Chancellor of Duke Kunshan University, shared his thoughts on the transformation of higher education in the AI era, taking the exploration of AI applications in teaching as an example, emphasizing the importance of "thinking-oriented, ability-focused, interdisciplinary" approach.

Lin Danming, Pro-Vice Chancellor of GTIIT, introduced the university's educational practices under the backdrop of fostering innovative talents. He highlighted GTIIT's talent cultivation system centered on mathematics and physics, driven by questioning, and embedded with innovation, as well as its international faculty and top-notch research environment. He also showcased GTIIT's achievements in talent cultivation through the substantial research outputs of its students and their impressive offers after graduation.

Handover Ceremony

During the Handover Ceremony (to the Next Rotating Secretariat Institute), Queena Yi, Pro-Vice Chancellor of GTIIT, passed the union flag to the representative of the next rotating secretariat unit.

Text/Photos: GTIIT News & Public Affairs