From December 16 to 17, E9's 12th Presidents' Joint Conference and Global University Presidents' Forum at the 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of South China University of Technology were held successively in Guangzhou. Wang Shuxin, President of Chongqing University, attended the events.
At the Presidents' Joint Conference, E9's 2020-2022 work summary made by Beijing Institute of Technology, the rotating chairmanship from 2021 to 2022 was reviewed and approved. In addition, E9's 2023 work plan made by South China University of Technology, the rotating chairmanship in 2023, was deliberated and passed.
The flag-passing ceremony was held at the Conference. Long Teng, President of Beijing Institute of Technology, passed the flag of E9 to Zhang Liqun, President of South China University of Technology. Furthermore, Dalian University of Technology and Tianjin University were elected as E9's rotating chairmanship in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
In order to respond to the major issues of the times more effectively, the Presidents' Joint Conference discussed and adopted the E9's 2022 Guangzhou Declaration (full text attached below), which further clarified the mission of E9's universities in the new era and new journey.
Subsequently, leaders of participating universities conducted extensive exchanges and in-depth discussions on E9's work. It was generally considered that under the new situation, E9's universities should strengthen top-level design and development planning, innovate in the collaborative training mode of outstanding innovative talents, intensify organized scientific research, deepen exchanges and cooperation with world-class universities, build their own brand characteristics, and promote the high-quality development of E9.
Leaders of E9's universities such as Long Teng, President of Beijing Institute of Technology, Guo Dongming, President of Dalian University of Technology, Zhang Liqun, President of South China University of Technology, Jin Donghan, President of Tianjin University, Wang Jinsong, President of Northwestern Polytechnical University, Wu Gang, Managing Vice President of Southeast University, Shen Yi, Vice President of Harbin Institute of Technology, Gong Jinlong, Vice President of Tianjin University, Wu Guangming, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Tongji University, Wang Yubo, President Assistant of Northwestern Polytechnical University attended the Presidents' Joint Conference offline or online.
On the afternoon of December 17, the Global University Presidents' Forum at the 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of South China University of Technology was held successfully. Presidents and other representatives from 17 universities around the world attended the conference online and offline. The presidents of the participating universities made a report on the theme of "Higher Education for the Future: Opportunities and Challenges", shared the experience of university development, discussed the future of higher education, and jointly published the E9's 2022 Guangzhou Declaration.
Wang Shuxin made the keynote report Missions of Chinese Double-First-Rate Universities in the New Era and New Journey and expounded the missions of Chinese "Double-First-Rate" universities in the new era and new journey from three aspects: the current situation and tasks faced by Chinese "Double-First-Rate" universities, the existing problems and challenges, and the thinking and actions of Chongqing University. He pointed out that "Double-First-Rate" universities should earnestly improve their school management position and orientation, be concerned about the times and trends of the country's prosperity, national rejuvenation and people's well-being, think what the country thinks, be anxious about what is urgent for the country, make response to needs of the country and take on the mission of "national team". It was necessary to improve the quality of independent training of talents in an all-round way, adhere to the fundamental task of moral education, build a high-quality education system, and take the connotative development path. It was necessary to speed up the building of national strategic scientific and technological force, adhere to the "four orientations", create high-level innovation platform, strengthen organized scientific research and innovation, and deepen collaborative innovation in enterprise-university-research. It was necessary to expedite the construction of national strategic talent force, vigorously promote the core strategy of strengthening schools with talents, and accelerate the gathering and emergence of outstanding talents with advanced institutional mechanisms. It was necessary to accelerate the modernization of campus management system and management capacity, adhere to academic orientation, strengthen hierarchical and classified management, and speed up digital transformation. He also emphasized that in the new era and new journey, the mission and responsibility of "Double-First-Rate" universities in China were more important, and it was necessary to continuously deepen exchanges and cooperation to jointly meet challenges.
This Forum was hosted by Zhu Min, Vice President of South China University of Technology. As an important activity in the 70th Anniversary of the Establishment and the 105th Anniversary of the Founding of South China University of Technology, this Forum was live all over the world, attracting nearly 100,000 people to watch online.
On the morning of December 17, Wang Shuxin also attended the celebration ceremony of the 70th Anniversary of the Establishment and the 105th Anniversary of the Founding of South China University of Technology. Jiang Hualin, Deputy Director of the Party Committee Office and the President Office of Chongqing University, was also present at the ceremony.
E9's 2022 Guangzhou Declaration
Today, the changes of the world, times and history are unveiled in an unprecedented way. Under the great changes unseen in a century, the development of the countries and universities are facing new opportunities and challenges. "What the world is going through and what should we do?" has become an urgent issue of the times. On December 16, 2022, the universities of E9 gathered in Guangzhou and jointly made the following declaration at South China University of Technology:
---Firmly promote the building of a"Community of Shared Future for Mankind". General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind is the future of people all over the world". Universities are the bridge of mutual trust and mutual benefit among all countries in the world, and also an important driving force for the progress of human society. Building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind is also the glorious mission and great responsibility of universities. We will thoroughly practice the concept of "Community of Shared Future for Mankind", bravely stand at the forefront of the times, gain insight into the general trend of the world, integrate into the overall situation of development, take the initiative to solve the problems that hinder the sustainable development of human society, work together to cope with global challenges, promote the common well-being of mankind, and make "excellent contributions" to the building of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind.
---Determinedly cultivate outstanding innovative talents. The 20th CPC National Congress makes an integrated arrangement of education, science and technology and talents for the first time. For the overall planning and promotion of "Trinity", universities act as the major junction and talents play the role of subjective support. We will focus on improving the independent training quality of talents in an all-round way, implement the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, bring E9's superiority into full play , strengthen science and engineering education, and vigorously cultivate high-level talents, basic discipline talents and outstanding engineers urgently needed by the country. Furthermore, we will strengthen the open-up enrollment and promote the integration of production and education, the combination of science and education, and the international collaboration, to jointly build a high-level collaborative education practice platform and an innovative and entrepreneurial education base and explore the "excellent mode" of cultivating outstanding innovative talents in the post-epidemic era.
---Steadfastly strengthen scientific and technological collaborative innovation. Only the innovator can make progress, become strong and achieve success. Innovation is a significant strategic choice for all countries in the world, and also the first driving force for China to lead development. As the main force of basic research and the source of major scientific and technological breakthroughs, we will strengthen the exchanges of superior discipline resources, reinforce goal-oriented basic research, promote technology transfer and knowledge sharing, carry out interdisciplinary and multinational scientific research cooperation, earnestly assume the important task of the times in frontier innovation and cutting-edge technological research, serve the country for high-level scientific and technological self-reliance, and export "excellent wisdom" for expanding the boundaries of human knowledge.
---Resolutely deepen cultural and academic exchanges. Exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations are an important driving force for safeguarding world peace and promoting common development. This is an open world, so are universities. Relying on the cooperation platforms such as UK-China University Consortium on Engineering Education and Research (UCEER) and ASEAN-China Network for Cooperation and Exchange among Engineering and Technology Universities (ACNET-EngTech), we will actively promote wider, broader and deeper exchanges and cooperation, facilitate the co-construction, sharing and interconnection of high-quality educational resources, motivate the exchange of ideas, academics and personnel, and provide an "excellent plan" for building a global community of higher education development.
We are in an era full of challenges and hopes. Only when all countries in the world work together to form a development consensus of unity and cooperation can we get rid of the present dilemma. Let's carry forward the university spirit, stick to developing our own virtues and benefit the society, strive to be confident, independent, honest and innovative, work hard and forge ahead bravely, speed up the construction of world-class universities with Chinese characteristics, help push forward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in an all-round way, and work together to create a better future for mankind!
Beijing Institute of Technology
Chongqing University
Dalian University of Technology
Southeast University
Harbin Institute of Technology
South China University of Technology
Tianjin University
Tongji University
Northwestern Polytechnical University
Guangzhou, December 16, 2022
