Vice President Shu Gequn Attends Sino-Korean University Presidents Forum

On August 31, 2013, Tianjin University (TJU) Vice President Shu Gequn attended the 5thSino-Korean University Presidents Forumheld at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS). Presidents and vice presidents from over 50 Korean and Chinese universities took part in the forum.

Minister of Education in Korea Seo Nam-soo and Ambassador of Chinese Embassy in Korea Zhang Xinsen delivered welcome speeches at the opening ceremony.

During the forum, Vice President Shu gave a keynote speech on the “Enhancement of International Competitiveness of Chinese and Korean Universities”. In his speech, he shared achievements and experiences from TJU’s implementation of its internationalization strategy based on its four themes: international competitiveness of faculty, international learning experience of students, international strategic research collaboration, and enrollment of overseas students. He indicated that Chinese and Korean universities should be aware of problems and challenges in spite of improved international competitiveness over recent years. Additionally, he hoped that student exchange could be promoted further and various social forces will be brought into full play so as to create more internship opportunities for students between the two countries.

During the forum, Vice President Shu held in-depth discussions concerning student exchange, joint training, and summer programs with representatives from participating universities, including the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul National University, Ewha Womans University, and Ajou University.

Subsequently, participating presidents discussed how to improve the Sino-Korean University Presidents Forum, and reached agreement that Japan should be brought in. They also agreed to work out a new framework with specific direction for the sustainable development of the forum. At the end of the forum, President of the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies drafted a minute and delivered the closing speech.

Five Sino-Korean University Presidents Forums have been held successfully since 2007. The forum has played a great part in promoting the exchange, cooperation, development, and international competitiveness for Chinese and Korean higher education. The next forum will be held in Dalian, China.