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World University Presidents Forum held in Beijing from 30^thto 31^st July 2023

From 30^th to 31^st July 2023, the World University Presidents Forum was successfully held in Beijing. It was co-organized by China Association of Higher Education (CAHE), Peking University and Tsinghua University, with the support of UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia, Huairou District People’s Government of Beijing Municipality and 28 Chinese universities. Under the theme of “An era of Transformation and the Mission of Universities”, the aim of the forum was to build a platform for promoting dialogue, sharing good practices and enhancing cooperation among universities globally.The main outcome of the World University Presidents Forum was the adoption of the Beijing Initiative to further strengthen inter-university collaboration, which details the following key action points: (i) Facilitate and promote the international flow of university teachers and students across regions, (ii) Promote open cooperation in scientific research, (iii) Improve the cultural and spiritual quality of universities, (iv) Accelerate the digital development of higher education, (v) Promote the sharing of higher education resources, (vi) Contribute to the sustainable development of economies and societies, and (vii) Build a global higher education community. A major output of the forum was the attendance of over 500 participants from 36 countries all over the world, with 65 university Presidents delivering keynote speeches on various key topics concerning higher education such as sustainable development, student mobility and exchange, research and development, SDGs, public private partnerships in higher education, quality of higher education, AI in Education, digitalization, accreditation, quality assurance, Open and distance learning and quality of higher education.

International University Presidents meeting with the Minister of Education of China, Mr. Huai Jinpeng

Prior to the commencement of the forum, international university presidents and guests met with Mr. Huai Jinpeng, Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of China. Mr. Huai expressed the disposition China has in deepening its partnerships with universities around the world and creating better educational opportunities for all. He highlighted the hosting by China of the World University Games in Chengdu as a demonstration of solidarity from different universities from many countries around the globe.International attendees shared their remarks with Mr. Huai, including Prof. Michael Spence, President of University College London, Prof. Andrew D. Hamilton, President of New York University, Prof. Luís Manuel dos Anjos Ferreira, Rector of University of Lisbon, and Prof. Olusola Bandele Oyewole, Secretary General of the Association of African Universities. They congratulated China for its achievements in higher education and hoped to further strengthen the collaboration and exchange between their institutions and Chinese institutions and Universities.

International representatives engaged in dialogue with the Minister of Education of China

The opening ceremony of the University President’s forum started with the opening remarks of Mr. Ding Zhongli, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Mr. Chen Jie, Vice Minister of Education and Chairman of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, Mr. Liu Yuhui, Vice Mayor of Beijing, and Ms. Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education.

In his speech, Mr. Ding Zhongli, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, stated that given the global interest attributed to education, universities should join hands to strengthen global development initiatives. He affirmed that China is willing to exchange good practices with universities around the world to improve the quality of higher education and promote mutual learning.

Mr. Ding Zhongli delivering his opening remarks

Mr. Chen Jie, Vice Minister of Education and Chairman of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, described the main areas of action in education prioritized by the Chinese Government. Among them, the Chinese Government is increasing its efforts to build the capacity of high-quality teachers, enhance the digitalization of education, ensure quality of vocational education is on par with the economic and industrial transformation, and expand the opportunities of higher education.

Mr. Chen Jie delivering his opening remarks

Mr. Liu Yuhui, Vice Mayor of Beijing, expressed Beijing’s hopes to deepen joint research and exchange programmes with international universities. He stated that Beijing is in possession of valuable higher education resources and it aspires to welcome more scholars from around the world to study and work in Beijing.

Mr. Liu Yuhui delivering his opening remarks

Ms. Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, asserted in her speech that sustainable development cannot be separated from the support of higher education institutions. She highlighted the UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN platform as one of the successful models for inter-university cooperation with over 800 UNESCO Chairs and knowledge networks. Universities are pivotal for preparing youth and adults to face the challenges encountered in our world today. She expressed her best wishes for the forum to serve as an important platform to promote inclusive, fair and high-quality development of higher education in all the countries. She expressed her sincere appreciation to the CAHE and organizers in organizing the World University Presidents Forum. She assured the participants that UNESCO is strongly committed to advancing student mobility and recognition issues under the framework of the UNESCO global Convention on Recognition of Qualifications in higher education.

Ms. Stefania Giannini delivering her opening remarks

The opening remarks were followed by a series of presentations and roundtable dialogues of university presidents from across the globe, who discussed a wide range of key topics for higher education in relation to digitalization of education, innovative development of global universities, future demand of competencies, intercultural learning, and the role of higher education in addressing global challenges.

During the welcome dinner, Mr. Robert Parua, Education Programme Specialist, offered his welcome remarks on behalf of UNESCO Multisectoral Reginal Office for East Asia. Alluding to UNESCO Futures of Education Report, Mr. Parua emphasized on the critical role universities played in strengthening knowledge systems, providing research for policy making, contributing to science, technology and innovation, supporting government to achieve Sustainable Development Goals and promoting intercultural exchange, especially in view of the increasing internationalization of higher education and student mobility across borders. He called for universities to take action in reinventing higher education in alignment with the 2030 UNESCO Roadmap on higher education adopted at the 2022 Third World Higher Education Conference. It is pivotal for universities to enable flexible learning pathways, adopt a lifelong learning approach, promote inter- and intra- disciplinarity, and use technology in support of effective teaching, learning and research.

Mr. Robert Parua delivering his welcome remarks at the welcome dinner

UNESCO relates higher education institutions to three missions: to produce knowledge, to educate people, and to commit to social responsibility. With the emergence of new technologies, education systems are shifting towards more digitalized learning pathways, that provide better opportunities and pose challenges at the same time. It is dependent on the collective effort of higher education stakeholders in the education sector to support the democratization of knowledge and provide access to quality education opportunities for all.

Participants at the 2023 World University Presidents Forum