International Symposium on Countries & Regions Studies hosted by Department of International Cooperation and Exchange of the Ministry of Education was held in Guiyang from July 26 to 27, 2018. As one of the important activities of the 11th China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week, the symposium was attended by nearly 300 education officers, college presidents and think tank experts from 11 countries and regions. Tian Xuejun, Vice Minister of Ministry of Education, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. Wu Yechun, vice president of South China University of Technology (SCUT), was invited to the symposium. Professor Zhong Shuneng, director of Research Center for Indian Ocean Island Countries (RCIOIC), and Professor Zhu Xianlong, deputy director of RCIOIC, accompanied and participated in relevant activities of the symposium.
In his speech at the opening ceremony, Tian Xuejun pointed out that the successful convening of International Symposium on Countries & Regions Studies was of great significance to promote international cooperation and exchange, pool ideological strength and play the role of think tanks of countries and regions studies. For the current countries and regional studies, he put forward three suggestions. First, a new platform for cooperation and exchange should be built. Second, new channels for talent training should be expanded. Third, a new window of mutual understanding and trust should be opened.
Tian Xuejun, Vice Minister of Ministry of Education, gave a keynote speech
Participated in the exchange in the “Focus on Belt and Road” group, Wu Yechun gave a speech, which was named Building Centers for Countries and Regional Studies to Assist the Belt and Road Initiative. Wu Yechun introduced in detail the successful experience of SCUT in international construction, decision-making consulting services, countries and regional studies from three aspects, namely, the “two-wheel drive”in Double First-Class Initiative and construction of International Campus to improve think tank system, the active development of studies on Belt and Road Initiative, and the promotion of construction of countries studies centers to serve Belt and Road Initiative, which aroused positive responses from experts and scholars attending the meeting.
Wu Yechun, vice president of SCUT, gave a speech
Group photo of participants
Attaching great importance to countries and regions studies, the Ministry of Education has issued a series of policy documents to guide and support universities to carry out related studies, so as to enhance their decision-making consulting ability, serve the overall situation of national strategy and diplomacy, and help to implement the Belt and Road Initiative. In June 2017, RCIOIC was successfully approved as the filing center of countries and regional studies by Ministry of Education, with more than 30 researchers, including 5 professors and 8 associate professors. Under the guidance of school leaders and competent departments, RCIOIC has worked out a detailed mid-and long-term development plan, and will publish a series of books including Cultural Studies Series of Indian Ocean Island Countries and Translation Series of Academic Studies of Indian Ocean Island Countries in the near future.
(From RCIOIC)
