On the morning of Sept. 27^th, the Office of International Affairs held a symposium of the 2022 Fall Semester for USTB foreign faculty members, welcoming foreign teachers currently in Beijing and sending wishes for the coming 73^rd National Day. At the meeting, Prof. ZHANG Dawei, Director of the Office of International Affairs, and Prof. BAN Xiaojuan, Associate Director of the Office of International Affairs, sent their warm greetings to foreign faculty members and presented expectations for future work. Representatives of foreign teachers also expressed their gratitude for the concern from the university and put forward suggestions on the problems regarding their work and life. The meeting was presided over by Mr. CHENG Mingyuan, Program Coordinator of the International Exchange and Publicity Section at the Office of International Affairs.

Group photo

First, Prof. BAN Xiaojuan delivered a speech on behalf of the Office of International Affairs. She extended a warm welcome to all of the foreign teachers present and thanked them for their stick to their posts during the pandemic. She pointed out that foreign teachers play a vital role in the internationalization process of USTB. To improve the international education level of USTB, she hoped that all teachers can keep on developing their own advantages for teaching. Apart from this, Prof. BAN Xiaojuan conveyed the holiday arrangements for National Day to foreign teachers and said that the Office of International Affairs will continuously update the relevant requirements of the government and USTB’s Office of Epidemic Prevention and Control.

Next, Prof. ZHANG Dawei spoke and welcomed the coming of foreign faculty members. He reviewed the 70-year history of USTB, as the first university on the Chinese mainland to sign an inter-university cooperation agreement with a foreign university after the Reform and Opening up in 1979, USTB always adheres to the concept of international education. For the difficulties brought by the epidemic encountered in international exchanges and cooperation in the past two years, Prof. ZHANG Dawei extended his gratitude to foreign teachers’ support and understanding. With the expectation of the new era for internationalization of USTB, the Office of International Affairs will further cooperate with all the departments and relevant managements to provide foreign teachers with high-quality services in life and work, giving full play to the important role of foreign teachers in international cooperation and exchange as well as international education.

Prof. Alberto Conejo spoke at the symposium

Subsequently, Prof. Alberto Conejo from the School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, a recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award (the highest award in China for foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country’s economic and social progress), on behalf of the USTB’s foreign faculty members, thanked the university for the assistance it has provided to foreign faculty members since the epidemic breaks out, and hoped that the university could build a long-term mechanism and platform for the communication and mutual assistance between foreign faculty members.

Other foreign faculty members spoke at the symposium

Dr. Majid Khan, a lecturer at the School of Civil and Resources Engineering, hoped that the Office of International Affairs could add English translations of relevant policy information about visas, residence permits, and procedures for project applications of foreign scholars in China on its English official website, and put forward valuable suggestions on the promotion policy for foreign faculty members working in USTB. Dr. Arif Mughal, a USTB graduate who currently served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Artificial Intelligence, thanked his Alma Mater’s education and cultivation for his 12 years of learning and working experience as an international student at USTB and said that his identity had changed from a USTB student to a USTB faculty member, but the only thing that remained unchanged was his deep affections toward the university. He is willing to be a messenger of China-Pakistan friendship and make greater contributions to the improvement of the international influence of his Alma Mater. During the meeting, other members of the foreign faculty put forward suggestions on the problems in work and life.

After the meeting, the Office of International Affairs distributed the National Day gifts to all foreign teachers, and all the participants took a group photo at the entrance of the Office of International Affairs. On the occasion of the arrival of the 73^rd National Day, the Office of International Affairs and the Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Affairs Office of USTB had friendly exchanges and close communication with all foreign faculty members. The two sides thanked and greeted each other, and also conveyed positive regards and best wishes for future work.

Draft: ZHANG Guolin & LIU Feiyi

Revision: CHENG Mingyuan & HAN Xuelian