The forum opened at the Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center on December 20th. It was jointly hosted by Fujian Provincial Department of Education, the Press Office of Fujian Provincial People’s Government, the Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao Affairs Office of Fujian Provincial People’s Government, Fujian Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, and Fuzhou Municipal People’s Government, and jointly organized by The Mirror, FNU, Huaqiao University, Fujian University of Technology, and Fuzhou Education Bureau, with additional support from Fuzhou New District Fujian-Hong Kong Cooperation Advisory Committee, Xiamen International Bank, Wisdom Hong Kong, Hong Kong Management Institute, and Hong Kong Federation for Cultural Promotion. Jiang Erxiong, Vice Governor of Fujian Province, Xu Xinying, Executive President of the Mirror, Pan Yuteng, Secretary of FNU Party Committee, and Cao Yunchuan, Vice Chairman and President of Xiamen International Bank, attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Hong Kong Polytechnic University President Teng Jingguang delivered an online address. About 120 principals from colleges and universities, and secondary and primary schools, and scholars from Fujian, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas, centering around the theme of “Carrying forward the Legacy of Chinese Culture and Cultivating the New Generation,” exchanged their experiences in school management and ideas about educational innovation. The opening ceremony of the forum was chaired by Ye Shen, Director-General of Fujian Provincial Department of Education.
At the opening ceremony, Jiang Erxiong said that Fujian has attached much importance to the inheritance and development of Chinese culture, deeply implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping Thought on Culture and his important remarks on education, actively promoted educational and cultural exchanges with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas, and achieved positive results. She expressed her hope that different sides will further exchanges and mutual learning, give full play to Fujian’s geographical advantages and overseas Chinese, and promote Mazu culture, Zhu Xi culture, Hakka culture, and other cultural elements characteristic of Fujian. She also hoped that they will deepen inter-school exchanges, strengthen cross-regional sister school partnerships, expand multi-field cooperation, further promote the brand of “Study in Fujian,” and the development of Confucius Institutes and Maritime Silk Institutes, and better stimulate the vitality of talents. Pan Yuteng said that culture is the lifeblood of a school and the core of its development, and that carrying forward the legacy of Chinese culture and boosting cultural confidence are the intrinsic logic and value orientation of fostering virtue through education. At the critical period of deeply studying and implementing Xin Jinping Thought on Culture, conducting in-depth discussions and sharing valuable experiences and wisdom on the theme will surely have a positive and far-reaching impact on carrying forward the legacy of Chinese culture while upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, improving the capacity of dissemination and influence of Chinese civilization and promoting Chinese culture to go global, Pan said.
The ceremony also featured the launch of the “Study in China” public service platform, the release of the HyCooby Overseas Chinese Language Education Platform, and the signing ceremony for the international cooperation project between Fujian University of Technology and Binan City, the Philippines. Mr. Arman R. Dimaguila, Mayor of Binan City, congratulated Fuzhou on winning the “Global Sustainable City Award via video link, and expressed his support for further educational exchanges and cooperation with Fujian.
The keynote speech session was chaired by FNU Vice President Chen Qinghua. Pan Yuteng made a keynote speech, titled “Continue, Create and Lead: the Role of Colleges and Universities in Cultural Education,” in which he introduced the practice and experience of FNU in giving full play to the advantages of academic disciplines, talents and scientific research, and insisting on promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture and cultural education in harmony with each other. He said that the inheritance of fine traditional Chinese culture in universities will help to implement the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, enhance the cultural confidence of young students, and cultivate a new generation that is capable of shouldering the responsibility of national rejuvenation, and that universities should uphold fundamental principles and break new ground, pay attention to delving and reshaping, strengthen integration and the leadership, promote the updating of the way of expression of integrating fine traditional Chinese culture into the education of universities, and continuously show the permanent charm and contemporary elegance of Chinese culture in the cultural education, and the responsibility of universities in the inheritance and development of fine traditional Chinese culture. Li Zijian, president of the Education University of Hong Kong, Shi Danli, associate vice president of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Tong Xin, president of Fujian University of Technology, Lai Hairong, secretary of the Party Committee of Fujian Polytechnic Normal University, Sun Hechuan, expert appointed by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, expert of the National Education Supervisory Group of the Ministry of Education, and expert of the Ministry of Education in evaluating Yangtze River scholars, and Li Wuyili, chairperson of the Sinological Development Charitable Foundation, respectively deliver keynote speeches, titled “Carrying forward the Legacy of Chinese Culture and Cultivating the New Generation,” “Significance of School Social Responsibility in the Era: Talent Cultivation,” Safeguarding Fujian Culture and Writing a New Chapter of Educating People in the Era: Fujian University of Technology’s Thoughts and Practices,” “Hometowns, Schools and Enterprises of Overseas Chinese: Practices in Universities to Promote Chinese Modernization with Unique Advantages,” “National Policy on Education and Education Improvement: Based on Inspirations from the UK,” and “Let the Spread of Sinology Produce Concentric Circle Effect Globally.”
It is learned that the forum, with the theme of “Carrying forward the Legacy of Chinese Culture and Cultivating the New Generation,” aims to leverage the role of the majority of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan compatriots, overseas compatriots and returned overseas Chinese as a bridge and bond to strengthen the exchanges and cooperation among universities, primary and secondary schools in Fujian, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as overseas Chinese language schools and jointly cultivate a new generation of talents with great social responsibility, international vision and innovation ability.
(Translated by Huang Rui/ Reviewed by Xie Xiujuan)