On September 8^th, the 2023 Straits Higher Education (Beijing) Summit Forum was held at USTB. The forum was themed “Making joint efforts to educate for a brighter future,” aiming to explore the cooperation and exchange mechanism between the universities in mainland China and Taiwan Province, gather consensus on practice and education, and promote the integrative development of higher education in the two sides of the Taiwan Straits. Dr. HUO Guangfeng, Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of Beijing Municipal People's Government; Mr. CANG Jun, Second-level Inspector at the Exchange Bureau of Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council; Mr. SHU Gangbo, Associate Director of the Office of Hongkong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of the Ministry of Education, and Dr. SUN Qijun, Associate Director of Beijing Municipal Education Commission; Mr. WU Guilong, Chancellor of USTB, Prof. YANG Renshu, President of USTB, and Prof. WANG Luning, Vice President of USTB attended the opening ceremony. Over 120 presidents, experts, and scholars from 30 more universities from both sides of the Straits took part in the activity. The opening ceremony and the plenary sections were presided by Prof. WANG Luning.

The launching ceremony

Mr. WU Guilong delivered a speech

Mr. WU Guilong said that the forum was an important platform for exchange and dialogue between fellows of higher education from both sides. It was also a witness and writer of the cooperation and friendship between universities on both sides. He hoped that the exchange platform for universities on both sides would be broader, the cooperation forms be more diversified, and the cooperation and friendship be longer.

Prof. LI Tian-ren delivered a speech

Prof. LI Tian-ren, Former President of Chinese Culture University and Huafan University in Taiwan Province, hoped that the cooperation in the higher education field between both sides could be further deepened and more new achievements would be gained.

Dr. SUN Qijun delivered a speech

Dr. SUN Qijun noted that both Beijing and Taiwan had lots of universities and abundant education resources, and both sides should further strengthen exchange and interaction, enhance mutual understanding, deepen friendship, and stick to the basic task of strengthening moral education and cultivating people, to cultivate talents for the nation and forge ahead.

Mr. SHU Gangbo delivered a speech

Mr. SHU Gangbo noted that higher education was the “trailblazer” that would promote the integrative development of both sides, was an important position for talent training and technological innovation, and was also an important strength for economic and social development. This forum was a vivid practice of implementing President XI Jinping’s important exposition about work related to Taiwan affairs, and it gave great significance to continuously deepen the cooperation and exchanges in the field of higher education across the Straits and promote the active exploration of new modes of exchanges.

Prof. YANG Renshu made a report

Prof. YANG Ching-yu made a report

Prof. LIU Kuo-wei delivered a report

At the plenary sections, Prof. YANG Renshu, President of USTB, Prof. YANG Ching-yu, President of Taiwan Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, and Prof. LIU Kuo-wei, Minghsin University of Science and Technology, gave brilliant reports with the mention of hot spot issues in higher education field across the Straits, including the talent training practice in each of their universities as well as the scientific research and discipline construction. During the sub-forums, experts and scholars from universities across the Straits shared relevant experiences and practices on aspects like both sides’ higher education reform and integrative development, ChatGPT and AI development, cross-disciplinary construction and industry-education integration, talent cultivation for basic disciplines, and social services of colleges and universities. In this way, they had an in-depth discussion on the new path for education integration across the Straits.  

Group photo

The 2023 Straits Higher Education (Beijing) Summit Forum is both an important platform for exchange in the higher education field across the Straits and also a connection link that deepens the cooperation and friendship between universities of both sides of the Straits, aiming to actively build a multi-level, multi-field, and multi-form exchange and cooperation mechanism in aspects like discipline construction, teaching level and scientific outcomes of universities across the Straits, promoting the gaining of more achievements in exchange and cooperation in the field of higher education.

Draft: SHI Jingwen

Revision: CHENG Mingyuan