Ambassador Cong FU met with Professor Lionel M. NI, the President of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)
On January 24th, local time in Brussels, Ambassador Cong FU, the Head of the Chinese Mission to the European Union, met with a delegation led by Professor Lionel M. NI, the President of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), during their visit to Europe. The two sides engaged in in-depth discussions regarding the China-EU mechanism for cultural and educational exchanges, cooperation in higher education, science and technology, talent exchange, as well as the internationalization strategy of the university and its exchanges with Europe.
The meeting and exchange were attended by Minister Jing ZHU, Minister-Counselor Tao MA, and Second Secretary Juan JIANG from the Chinese Mission to the European Union, along with Associate Vice-President (Teaching & Learning) Prof. Yang YANG, Dean of Function Hub Prof. Weijia WEN, and Head of the Global Affairs Department Mr. Jing FU from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou).
Ambassador Cong FU extended a warm welcome to the delegation from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) visiting Europe. He stated that education serves as the core of cultural exchanges between China and Europe. Currently, the European Union is advancing the Bologna Process, dedicated to promoting the integration and internationalization of higher education in Europe. This visit by President NI and the university team comes at a crucial time when China-EU relations are stabilizing and recovering, and the 6th meeting of the China-EU High-Level People-to-People Dialogue is about to be held. Ambassador FU emphasized the strategic significance and international perspective of this visit as President NI leads the team to Europe to make friends, share stories, seek resources, expand educational exchanges and cooperation, and promote cultural exchanges and mutual understanding among people.
Ambassador FU expressed his hope that HKUST(GZ) will further explore European educational resources, establish a network of European education partners, and create signature projects for China-Europe cultural exchanges. He emphasized the importance of proactive and pragmatic cooperation to promote the stable and long-term development of China-EU relations.
President Lionel M. Ni expressed gratitude to Ambassador Cong FU and his team for their strong support to HKUST(GZ). He highly appreciated Ambassador FU's insightful suggestions regarding the university's development and cooperation with Europe.
President Ni introduced the vision and actions of HKUST(GZ) in developing interdisciplinary integration and leading the global paradigm shift in higher education. He emphasized that the university highly values innovation and internationalization, and will continue to promote pragmatic cooperation with a select group of key European universities. The university aims to enrich the China-Europe cultural exchange mechanism through innovative flagship projects and advance dialogue and cooperation in the areas of higher education reform, cross-border education collaboration, youth, and innovation. The goal is to facilitate the bi-directional flow of knowledge and talent and foster the sharing and mutual learning of experiences.
President Lionel M. Ni also briefed Ambassador Cong FU on the itinerary of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) delegation's visit to Europe. He mentioned that this visit is the first major visit after the establishment of HKUST(GZ). The delegation will visit four countries, including Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and France, as well as ten cities. They will have meetings with the Chinese Mission to the European Union, consulates, and United Nations agencies. Additionally, they will engage with ten world-renowned universities such as KU Leuven, Ghent University, RWTH Aachen University, University of Geneva, Sorbonne University, and ESCP Business School. The delegation will also hold more than 30 meetings, discussions, and workshops with alliance organizations and institutions such as the Belgium-China Chamber of Commerce (BCECC), Una Europa, swissuniversities, the France China Foundation, and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).
He mentioned that during this visit, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) will also collaborate with European partners to organize the China-EU Higher-Education Roundtable, the Sino-French Interdisciplinary High-level Seminar, and other influential capacity-building activities. They will also hold multiple high-level talent forums, engaging in face-to-face discussions with over 200 renowned university presidents, professors, and leaders from various fields. Through these interactions, they aim to build connections with friends from the research-oriented university ecosystem, promote talent attraction, expand exchange programs, and enhance the university's reputation.
