On November 30, “Studying in China – My Perspective on Reform and Opening-up International Students Forum” was successfully hosted by Jilin University. Over 70 international master and PhD candidates from Jilin University, Yanbian University, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Jilin University of Finance and Economics attended the forum. Zheng Weitao, deputy president of JLU, presented at the opening ceremony and addressed it. Staff in related area from School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and College of International Education (CIE) of JLU also took part in the forum. The opening ceremony was presided by Sui Yining, deputy dean of CIE.
In the forum, Mr. Zheng, on behalf of JLU, pointed out that in the last 40 years ever since the Reform and Opening-up Policy(R&O) was launched, educational opening-up had profoundly integrated into the process of social development and become a significant pathway for people-to-people exchange between China and other countries. Attaching great importance to educational opening-up, JLU broadens horizons and widens channels for international exchanges in a variety of ways, deepens the understanding of and trust in China from young people all around the world, and builds consensus among them about a community of shared future. He hoped that international students in JLU would bring fame to JLU by contributing to the development of their respective countries with the knowledge and skills they acquire and accumulate in JLU.
Professor Wei Yihua from School of Economics and Sun Xingjie, deputy dean of SIPA made speeches respectively titled “The Important Achievements and Basic Experience during the 40 Years’ Reform and Opening-up” and “The Concept, Testimony and Prospect of China’s Reform and Opening-up”. Professor Wei elaborated on the 40 years’ R&O from three aspects, including the basic course, the historical changes and the summary of experience, stressing on its turning the most populated country into a real world power from “standing up” to “becoming moderately prosperous”, then to “becoming strong” in the new era. Sun summarized and analyzed three issues, centering on the epochal topic of China’s R&O, R&O’s reshaping the relationship between China and the world, the mutual integration of China’s world view and the world’s China view.
18 representative international students from 12 countries expressed their views and feelings on topics such as “China’s development and changes in the eyes of international students”, “studying in China and the changes in international students”, and “how China’s development influences the world”. Taking into consideration their own specialized fields, they reported and discussed enthusiastically over China’s achievements in the last 40 years since R&O, China as a fast rising world power, international students’ choice of target country, China’s contribution to the world’s economy, health and education, the influence of Chinese culture on international students, China’s aid to the developing countries, the demonstration effect of China’s development to other countries, the influence of “Belt and Road Initiative” on the world, the illumination of building a community of shared future, etc.
Liu Debin, dean of SIPA, made a concluding report for the forum. He, by referring to his own life experience, reviewed the changes in Chinese people’s life in the last 40 years, and in Chinese people’s attitudes towards foreigners and their views over China’s relationships with the world. He hoped that more and more international students would come to China, see China more objectively and understand China, so that they could play more active roles on the global stage.
Li Meihua, dean of CIE, delivered a closing speech. She congratulated on the success of the forum and thanked for the great support from the higher learning institutions of Jilin Province. She expressed her hope to institutionalize the forum and hold it on regular basis to continuously deepen educational opening-up.
“Studying in China – My Perspective on Reform and Opening-up International Students Forum” is an active response to the call for “holding ‘Studying in China’ series activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Reform and Opening-up”, an initiative of International Students Education and Management Branch of China Higher Education Association. The forum is co-hosted by the 6th Council of International Students Education and Management Branch of China Higher Education Association and JLU, and undertaken by SIPA and CIE of JLU. It has successfully built a platform of international talent fostering and cultural exchanges for the higher learning institutions of Jilin Province.
