Sponsored by China Center for International People-to-People Exchange (CCIPE), Ministry of Education and hosted by Xi’an Jiaotong University, the first Annual Conference on International Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges of China’s Higher Education (University Alliance) was held in Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbor. Those who presented at the conference were Du Kewei, director of China Center for International People-to-People Exchange, Ministry of Education, Zhang Daliang, deputy chairman of China Association of Higher Education, Zhu Xiaowei, deputy director-general of Education Department of Shaanxi Province, experts and scholars in the higher education community, as well as over 200 representatives from nationwide first-class universities. Xia Juan, deputy director of China Center for International People-to-People Exchange, Ministry of Education, chaired the meeting. Wu Xiaolin, Vice President of China University of Petroleum-Beijing (CUP) and Sun Xudong, Executive Deputy Director of the Karamay Campus Management Committee as well as Secretary-General of Secretariat of Worldwide Energy University Network (WEUN) were invited to attend the annual conference and delivered speeches.
This conference revolved around the theme of "Building a mutual learning and sharing platform to promote the in-depth development of the Network ". Du Kewei introduced the work undertaken by the CCIPE in promoting the international exchanges and cooperation among universities. Zhang Daliang emphasized the vital role played by universities and the university alliance in terms of the people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. Zhu Xiaowei enumerated the contribution to the opening up of education made by Shaanxi Province as one of China's essential higher education bases in recent years.
In the experience sharing session, Wu Xiaolin shared the constructing experience of WEUN from basic profile, activities, effects and plans. She stated that WEUN focuses on the energy industry and participators are, without exception, top universities in their respective professional field. Since its launching in 2018, the Network has completed a series of such substantive tasks as establishing rules and regulations, forming the management institution, organizing student exchange activities (summer school), setting up the website, and releasing publications. In 2020, the Network will step up its efforts on the basis of existing accomplishments to organize or host a series of important international conferences, establish scholarships as well as recruit new members.
At the subsequent forum themed by "The Impact on the Integration of Industrialization, Education and Research and that of Industrialization and Teaching of University Alliance", Sun Xudong, as a guest, indicated that universities were expected to make long-term plans, forge ahead steadily, cooperate between departments, and work together to yield substantial progress of the Network. WEUN, with industry coalition as its focus, consists of universities in relation to a number of professional fields such as petroleum, electric power, nuclear energy, new energy and the like. In this sense, WEUN entertains exclusive advantages in the integration of industrialization, education and research and that of industrialization and teaching. Currently, WEUN has also forged partnerships with related associations in the energy industry, which would hopefully deepen the integration of industrialization, education and research and that of industrialization and teaching.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has issued a series of important instructions on foreign affairs in relation to education. The university alliance is a practical innovation in opening education to the outside world, the form of which can facilitate the all-round exchanges and cooperation between universities in China and high-level ones in foreign countries including their first-class disciplines, promote mutual learning and collaborative establishment and sharing, thus advancing the in-depth development of people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and other countries as a whole. The annual conference brands WEUN as an excellent model for discussion and exchange, which manifests the full recognition of the work done by the Network and ushers in more innovative thinking for its further development. In the future, the Worldwide Energy University Network will continue to innovate its working methods, strengthen international cooperation, and transform itself into an international exchange platform for culture, education, scientific research and industry.
(Editor：Fan Xiaoyuan; Translator: Wang Ling’ai）
