To deepen the collaboration and exchange between universities in Chengdu’s sister cities, CDUT hosted the 2024 University Presidents Exchange of the Chengdu International Sister Cities Higher Education Institutions Alliance on October 24. Organized by the Foreign Affairs Office of Chengdu Municipal People’s Government and the Chengdu International Sister Cities Higher Education Institutions Alliance, and hosted by CDUT as the Alliance’s Third Executive Chairman Unit, the event aimed to promote “Openness, Cooperation, Innovation, and Win-Win.” The program featured an opening ceremony, keynote addresses, and a networking session, bringing together more than 80 representatives from 8 sister city universities across 6 countries and 16 Chengdu-based universities. By Yan Lake, participants shared insights on educational development and discussed ways to integrate and align educational resources for mutual benefit. Professor Zeng Ying, a member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of CDUT and Vice President of CDUT, presided over the opening ceremony.
Group photo of Chinese and international university representatives
During the event
In his welcome address at the opening ceremony, Liu Qingyou, Party Secretary of CDUT, emphasized the event’s theme “Openness, Cooperation, Innovation, and Win-Win.” He highlighted its focused discussions on key topics, including “International Talent and Development of Top Innovative Talent,” “Partnerships Between Sister Cities and Regional Industry-Academia-Research Initiatives,” and the “Digital Strategy for International Education.” Liu acknowledged the robust support of the Department of Education of Sichuan Province and the Foreign Affairs Office of Chengdu Municipal People’s Government, noting that he was confident this event would further strengthen the foundation of the Alliance, broaden exchange and collaboration between Chengdu’s universities and international sister institutions, and contribute Chinese insights to the advancement of global education.
Liu Qingyou delivering a speech
Jiang Bin, Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Chengdu Municipal People’s Government and Executive Vice President of the Chengdu People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Li Honglin, Level 1 Division Rank Official of the Department of Education of Sichuan Province , attended and delivered remarks. Jiang Bin emphasized his hope that Chinese and international universities will seize this event as a key opportunity to engage more deeply, inspire one another, and explore new avenues for collaboration—whether through multilateral exchange programs, two-way study opportunities for young students, or broader cross-border research partnerships. Such initiatives, he noted, will energize the Alliance’s cooperative momentum and advance the internationalization of higher education. Li Honglin reaffirmed Sichuan Province’s commitment to supporting and strengthening the Alliance’s leadership in high-quality education and industry, pledging to optimize the operational environment for educational and research resources to ensure smooth cooperation across alliance institutions. He added that Sichuan would also work to broaden and deepen channels for exchange, building a solid foundation for elevating partnerships between Chengdu and its sister cities.
During the meeting, Incheon National University, Republic of Korea, was officially welcomed as the 39th member of the Chengdu International Sister Cities Higher Education Institutions Alliance. The university also signed a memorandum of understanding with CDUT to expand collaboration in faculty and student exchanges, joint academic programs, and research partnerships. This agreement marks a new chapter for the two universities, setting a fresh course for shared growth and advancing the sustainable development of global education, as well as the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Signing ceremony of MOU
In the keynote session, representatives from 13 Chinese and international universities spoke on the theme “Openness, Cooperation, Innovation, and Win-Win: Opportunities and Challenges in Higher Education Internationalization.” Addressing issues at the forefront of global education, they focused on cultivating top innovative talent, fostering regional industry-academia partnerships, and advancing digital transformation in education. Each representative shared insights from their own institutions, engaging in discussions on the paths toward deeper internationalization in higher education.
President Xu Qiang presented a keynote presentation on behalf of CDUT, outlining CDUT’s commitment to advancing high-quality international education and developing a new generation of globally-oriented, innovative talent. He emphasized four priorities: first, establishing high-level Sino-foreign joint education programs with top global universities to cultivate exceptional, innovative students; second, building advanced scientific research platforms to attract international talent and foster innovation; third, accelerating the digital transformation of education through the development of the “Deep-time Digital Earth” platform; and fourth, enhancing industry-education integration to expand international industry-academia partnerships and train high-skilled, applied professionals.
Keynote report by Xu Qiang
To enable precise collaboration, the event included a Sino-foreign networking session with multiple rounds of targeted and open exchanges. Representatives from Chinese and international universities discussed cooperation in areas such as resource sharing, joint programs, short-term study exchanges, and internship opportunities through direct, one-on-one discussions. Several cooperation agreements were reached. CDUT’s team—led by Lang Xianguo, Director of the International Exchange and Cooperation Office and Party Secretary of the College of International Education (Oxford Brookes College), and Li Shan, Dean of the College of International Education (Oxford Brookes College)—held in-depth discussions with Incheon National University (Republic of Korea), Bishkek State University (Kyrgyzstan), University of Colombo (Sri Lanka), and Ubon Ratchathani University (Thailand), among others.
One-on-one discussion session
Gift exchange with Sri Lanka’s University of Colombo
Exchange session with Incheon National University, Republic of Korea
Gift exchange with Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani University
Following the event, representatives from both Chinese and international universities gathered for a themed dinner, where they were treated to traditional Chinese cultural performances, including Sichuan opera, classical dance, and a poetry recital titled Reading China, presented by CDUT’s international student representatives. During the dinner, Chen Kexian, a member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of CDUT and Director of the Organization Department of the Party Committee, warmly welcomed all distinguished guests who had traveled from afar, creating a lively and congenial atmosphere.
During their visit to Chengdu, the international guests also toured key sites such as the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and the Chengdu Natural History Museum (CDUT Museum), gaining a deeper understanding of the multifaceted nature of Chinese path to modernization.
The successful organization of this forum has laid a strong foundation for furthering practical cooperation between the universities of Chengdu’s international sister cities. Looking ahead, CDUT will continue to utilize the Alliance as a platform to strengthen both bilateral and multilateral cooperation with member universities, enhance resource development and sharing, and further explore innovative models of international education, contributing to the creation of a shared future for mankind.
