Symposium and Exchange

Marking the 55th anniversary of China-Canada diplomatic relations, the 30th anniversary of Guangdong Province's friendship ties with British Colubia, and the 40th anniversary of Guangzhou-Vancouver sister city relations, a delegation from the University of British Columbia visited South China University of Technology on 11 December. The delegation comprised the President Benoit-Antoine Bacon, Provost and Vice-President Marie Tarrant, and Canadian Consul General in Guangzhou Behzad Babakhani. President Tang Hongwu received the delegation with Vice-President Li Weiqing.

Address by Principal Tang Hongwu

Tang Hongwu outlined the university's recent developments, highlighting the Guangzhou International Campus's notable achievements in advancing mutually reinforcing “internationalization at home” and “two-way internationalization”. He stated that South China University of Technology and the University of British Columbia share a solid foundation for collaboration, with the latter regarded as a key strategic partner. He expressed anticipation for accelerating overseas training programmes for administrators and faculty exchanges between the two institutions. Leveraging the Guangzhou International Campus, he proposed exploring the concept of ‘micro-campuses’ and advancing applications for Sino-foreign cooperative education programme. This initiative aims to establish both universities as exemplars of Sino-Canadian cultural exchange and scientific-educational cooperation, thereby contributing higher education's wisdom and strength to deepen friendship between the two nations and address global challenges.

Address by president Benoit-Antoine Bacon

Benoit-Antoine Bacon spoke highly of South China University of Technology's academic achievements and outlined the University of British Columbia's fundamental profile and internationalization strategy. He noted that UBC possesses outstanding strengths, particularly in disciplines within its Faculty of Forestry that align closely with SCUT's areas of excellence, making both institutions strategic partners. He expressed anticipation for further deepening educational and research collaboration in the future. He remarked that the current period presents a strategic opportunity for enhancing cooperation between China and Canada. The alliance between these two leading universities will create more opportunities for faculty and students from both institutions, yielding fruitful outcomes for mutual benefit.

Signing of the Cooperation Statement

Following the talks, Tang Hongwu and Benoit-Antoine Bacon signed a declaration on the Sino-foreign cooperative education programme, marking a significant step forward in the strategic partnership between the two institutions.

Visit to the National Key Laboratory of Advanced Papermaking and Paper-Based Materials

Source: SCUT News

Translated by Shi Weipeng

Initial Review by AN Yufan

Final Review by WU Zhaosheng