XJTLU Hosts Inauguration of Sino-foreign Cooperative Universities Union in Suzhou, China

SUZHOU, China, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Six exclusive Sino-foreign Universities came together yesterday to mark the inauguration of the Sino-foreign Cooperative University Union and Presidents Forum, the first of its kind to be organised and held in mainland China.

As one of the oldest joint venture universities in China, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) was selected to host the Union's inaugural meeting and the daylong event was a chance for the leaders of the six joint venture universities from across China to come together with representatives of the local and national government to witness the formation of the Union and participate in the inaugural forum.

The six international collaborative universities to join Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in the formation of the new Union are the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, New York University Shanghai, Duke Kunshan University, Wenzhou-Kean University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen).

The Union of Sino-foreign Universities is deigned to explore issues of common concern by sharing experiences and best practices, and to find feasible solutions to these issues. Similarly, the annual forum is expected to strengthen communications among Union members and thereby promote the overall development of the Sino-foreign cooperative universities in China.

Another key aim of the Union is to enhance the influence of the Sino-Foreign Cooperative Universities over the reform and development of higher education in China.

Speaking during the morning's Presidential Forum, Professor Youmin Xi, Executive President of XJTLU, welcomed the distinguished guests and highlighted the importance of the Union of Sino-foreign Cooperative Universities not only for its members but also for Chinese higher education. "It is time for us [the Union] to redefine education," explained President Xi, citing the competitive advantages of student centered learning, innovative administrative structure and lack of historical burdens as the reasons why universities such as XJTLU will become leaders of the next generation of international higher education institutes.

Throughout the morning, senior representatives from the Union followed President Xi in giving speeches and introductions about their institutions to the audience. Members were then encouraged to raise questions and share ideas with one another in order to enhance the understanding of the issues faced by Sino-foreign Universities in China today.

Professor Weiqi Shen, Vice-President of University of Nottingham Ningbo China, further developed the principles which set Sino-foreign Cooperative Universities apart from others in China, highlighting "high quality, openness, 'hybrid vigor' and legitimacy" in particular.

In the afternoon the Forum was joined by a senior delegation from the national Ministry of Education (MoE), who travelled from Beijing to participate in the event. The Presidents listened to a speech given by Mr. Jianjun Cen, Director of International Cooperation and Communion Department of MoE who spoke about the important of the Union and the positive effects they hoped it would have on wider education in China.

About XJTLU:

Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University is an international university jointly founded by leading institutions from both China and the U.K. As an independent Sino-British venture, XJTLU is a pioneer in the field of higher education in mainland China. The campus is located in the World Heritage city of Suzhou on China's Eastern seaboard, which boasts the fourth largest concentration of GDP in China, and offers a unique environment in which to study, live and thrive.

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SOURCE Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University