UK-Guangdong Higher Education Partnership Forum 2024 Held at GDUFS

On the afternoon of June 17, the UK-Guangdong Higher Education Partnership Forum 2024 was held in the VIP Hall of the Administration Building on the Baiyun Mountain Campus. The event was organized by the Department of Education of Guangdong Province, the British Consulate-General Guangzhou, and the British Universities China Association (BUCA), and hosted by GDUFS. The event attracted nearly 80 representatives from 39 renowned universities to discuss the opportunities and challenges of Sino-British higher education cooperation.

Vice President Jiao Fangtai said that GDUFS attaches great importance to the internationalization of education, adheres to open education, and continuously promotes exchanges and cooperation with foreign universities and institutions. So far, it has established cooperative exchanges with 502 universities and cultural institutions in 65 countries and regions and has cooperated with many British universities such as the University of Oxford, the University of Leeds, the University of Reading, and Lancaster University in teacher-student exchanges, scientific research and Sino-foreign cooperative education. Jiao Fangtai pointed out that in the face of new challenges and opportunities in education internationalization, GDUFS is actively implementing the international PRIME initiative, and will deepen cooperation with high-level British universities with a more open attitude, and look forward to exploring more diverse and efficient cooperation models in the future to jointly promote the internationalization of education and promote cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between China and the UK.

Jiao Fangtai Delivering a Speech

Sarah Mann, British Consul-General Guangzhou, expressed her expectations for educational exchanges and cooperation between China and the UK in her speech. She said that education is a bridge that connects different cultures and promotes mutual understanding, serving as an important part of Sino-British relations. Therefore, the successful convening of this event has built a useful platform for educational exchanges. Sino-British higher education cooperation has blossomed in many fields and has broad prospects. Guangdong, with its unique geographical location and open cultural atmosphere, is an important window for international educational exchanges. Sarah expected that the event today will become a new starting point for higher education exchanges between the UK and China, to help future educational cooperation reach new heights, and cultivate more excellent talents with international vision and competitiveness for both sides.

Sarah Mann Delivering a Speech

Li Jinjun, Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Office of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province, delivered a speech on behalf of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province. Li Jinjun reviewed the fruitful results achieved by China and the UK in educational cooperation, and pointed out that in the current complex and changing international situation, strengthening educational cooperation and policy communication is of greater significance. The Department of Education of Guangdong Province will respond to the country’s call to strengthen cultural exchanges between China and Europe, promote in-depth cooperation between Guangdong and British universities, and jointly cultivate more outstanding talents with an international outlook. Li Jinjun gave an in-depth interpretation of the basic situation of Guangdong Province’s education and its opening-up policy, emphasizing that Guangdong Province will actively respond to the “Belt and Road” Initiative, strengthen educational exchanges with countries around the world, and create a brand of “Study in China, Study in Guangdong”. Besides, Guangdong Province will implement the “Education Opening-up Project”, accelerate the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Education Demonstration Zone, deeply participate in global education governance, continue to promote high-level educational exchanges and cooperation, and explore the Guangdong brand as well as the Guangdong model of education opening-up. He hoped to take the event as an opportunity to promote substantive cooperation between Chinese and British universities and provide more opportunities for students from both countries to learn from each other and grow together.

Li Jinjun Delivering a Speech

Anney Yimeng An, President of BUCA and Head of Partner Relations and Projects at the University of Nottingham, shared her views on higher education in the UK. She stressed that although the global pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to education, the educational cooperation between China and the UK has still demonstrated strong resilience. As a major country for studying abroad, China’s cooperation with British universities is not only deepening, but also expanding from single academic exchanges to broader areas such as scientific research cooperation and industrial integration. British universities are committed to improving students’ employability and competitiveness, and provide students with a broader career development space through various forms such as the international campus TNE program. BUCA will continue to play the role of a bridge to help Chinese and British universities explore multi-level cooperation, contributing to the development of global education.

Anney Yimeng An Delivering a Speech

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), the Jinan University-University of Birmingham Joint Institute at Jinan University, and GDUFS shared their cooperation cases. Sky Jin, senior Asian cooperation officer of UCLan, reviewed the 30-year cooperation between UCLan and GDUFS that has taken place since 1992. He said that in the future, the “CHINA 2035 PLAN” will be launched to link resources and jointly cultivate outstanding talents.

Li Qiong, secretary of the Jinan University-University of Birmingham Joint Institute at Jinan University, presented cooperation history, university characteristics, “J-BJI” education model and cooperation results. She pointed out that under this cooperation model, outstanding talents cultivated by both China and the UK have emerged endlessly and achieved fruitful results.

Lu Lu, deputy director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange of GDUFS, reviewed the history and current situation of cooperation between GDUFS and British higher education institutions. She introduced the international PRIME initiative and the specific cooperation plan of GDUFS, looking forward to exploring more diverse cooperation models and jointly promoting the development of education internationalization

The University of Central Lancashire, the Jinan University-University of Birmingham Joint Institute at Jinan University, and GDUFS Sharing Cooperation Cases

The meeting also provided a platform for British institutions to showcase their achievements. Representatives from each university introduced their own situation, characteristics and vision, and shared their future cooperation plans with Chinese universities. They all expressed their willingness to inject new impetus into the future educational exchanges and cooperation between China and the UK. After the meeting, the participants freely exchanged ideas, actively sought counterpart partners, discussed cooperation affairs in depth, and explored opportunities for common development.