The 4th Annual Conference of the Association of British Chinese Professors (ABCP) commenced in Manchester on Friday, July 7, 2023. Professor Tan Tieniu, Academician of CAS and Secretary of the CPC NJU Committee, delivered a keynote speech by video at the plenary session.

The theme of this year’s conference is “International/China-UK Education Collaboration in the Era of Post Covid-19.” The President and Vice Presidents of ABCP, Chair and Members of the International Advisory Board of ABCP, representatives of universities in China and the UK, including the University of Oxford, University College London, University of Leicester, and Nanjing University, and representatives from the Chinese Embassy in the UK, Universities UK, UK-Jiangsu 20+20 World Class University Consortium and the China Britain Business Council attended the conference.

Professor Tan Tieniu pointed out in the speech titled “International Collaboration: An Enterprise for the Common Well-Being of Humanity” that in the face of profound changes in the international situation, global collaboration in science is the ultimate way to address such global challenges as the pandemic and climate change, which transcend national borders and are of a scale of complexity beyond the capacity of any single country to cope on its own. China is open to scientific cooperation and willing to work with other countries to see how innovation can introduce new solutions, and how to build mutual trust to enhance inclusivity.

Professor Tan stressed that universities should, with more openness, strengthen international collaboration in science and technology, proactively integrate into the global science and technology innovation network, and work with scientists worldwide to seek solutions to the challenges of the new era.

He also introduced Nanjing University’s development, contributions, as well as its international collaboration with institutions in the world. Nanjing University has launched the “Forging Ahead Initiative” and is in the process of building itself into a truly global education and science hub that can attract the greatest minds in the world to solve the most challenging problems, to up its efforts of opening-up and to more actively participate in global higher education. The University is about to launch the NJU International Fellowship Initiative, International Engagement Initiative and International Collaboration Initiative, as well as diversified visiting, internship and degree programs for international students. With all this, Nanjing University strives to facilitate faculty and student mobility, deepen international cooperation in science and education between China and the rest of the world for the well-being of humanity.

It is learned that the Association of British Chinese Professors was established in 2018. It brings together the best Chinese scholars in the UK and is dedicated to promoting cooperation between China and the UK in education, research, innovation and culture.

Source: Office of International Cooperation and Exchanges

Editor: Guo Ankang