EdUHK and Xinjiang Normal University Co-Host the "International Chinese Language Education and Belt and Road Educational Cooperation Symposium"
Professor John Lee Chi-Kin, President of The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), led a delegation at the China-Central Asia Industry-Academia-Research Collaboration Conference’ held on 12 and 13 May. The conference was co-organised by the Ministry of Education of China and The People's Government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. EdUHK, in collaboration with Xinjiang Normal University (XJNU), held one of the conference’s thematic symposiums, the ‘International Chinese Language Education and Belt and Road Education Cooperation Symposium’. At the event, educational research cooperation agreements were signed with several Central Asian universities, establishing a new paradigm with Xinjiang as the regional hub and Hong Kong as the international gateway.
The Symposium, themed ‘Chinese as a Bridge, Education as Empowerment; Innovation and Integration for a Shared Future’, was guided by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation under the Ministry of Education and Education Department of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It was jointly organised by EdUHK and XJNU, with the Beijing Language and Culture University, Minzu University of China, Shandong Normal University, Yunnan Normal University, and Kashgar University as co-organisers.
Nearly 300 representatives from the education sector of five Central Asian countries and neighbouring regions, as well as representatives from various domestic universities, gathered in Urumqi for the symposium. Among the attendees was EdUHK President Professor John Lee Chi-Kin, accompanied by members of the EdUHK delegation, including Professor Lo Sing-kai, Associate Vice President (Internationalisation), Ms Helen Gai Huixia, Associate Vice President (Mainland Engagement and Development) and Director of Communications and Engagement, and Mr Hsu Hoi-shan, the president of the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre.
At the opening ceremony, Xinjiang Normal University's Party Secretary Jiang Haijun welcomed the participants, and the ceremony was chaired by XJNU's Deputy Party Secretary and President, Ainiwaer Aikemu. Speeches were also delivered by Professor John Lee Chi-Kin, President of EdUHK; Professor Duan Peng, President of Beijing Language and Culture University; and Mr Zhang Shimin, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Education Working Committee and member of the Xinjiang Education Bureau Party Committee.
In his speech, Professor Lee said: "As an international hub for higher education, Hong Kong has always upheld its unique mission of 'relying on the motherland and connecting to the world.' Under the framework of Belt and Road educational cooperation, we are committed to building interdisciplinary research networks and promoting systematic innovation in international talent development." He expressed his hope to work hand-in-hand with all parties to promote high-quality development of Belt and Road educational initiatives. Professor Lee noted that the conference further solidified EdUHK's key role in educational cooperation between China and Central Asian countries, opening up new practical pathways for regional education collaboration and development.
Six universities from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan signed educational research cooperation agreements during the event. These included The Education University of Hong Kong, Xinjiang Normal University, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Kyrgyz National University, Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University, and Navoi State University. According to the agreements, the partner institutions will deepen educational research collaboration through various means, such as jointly organising academic symposiums and conducting collaborative research projects, with the aim of better serving the development of education in Central Asia.
During the conference's discussion sessions, participants engaged in in-depth exchanges and discussions on topics such as international Chinese language education in Belt and Road countries, opportunities and challenges in higher education, pathways and prospects for educational cooperation, and research on teacher education development.
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EdUHK and Xinjiang Normal University Co-Host the "International Chinese Language Education and Belt and Road Educational Cooperation Symposium"
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