Vice Rector Zhou Wanlei delivers keynote at 2023 China – ASEAN Education Cooperation Week and visits Guizhou University to strengthen exchanges

Upon invitation from the Guizhou Provincial Department of Education and Guizhou University, Professor Zhou Wanlei, Vice Rector of City University of Macau (CityU), attended the 2023 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (2023 CAECW). Vice Rector Zhou delivered keynote speeches at the sub-forums of the events: the China-ASEAN and the “Belt and Road” Nations University Presidents Forum and Education Exhibition, as well as the 2023 China-ASEAN Xishan Forum.

The 2023 CAECW was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, and Guizhou Provincial People’s Government. This event has been held for 15 consecutive years since 2008 and serves as a significant platform for educational and cultural exchanges between China and the ASEAN countries.

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During the China-ASEAN and the “Belt and Road” Nations University Presidents Forum and Education Exhibition, Vice Rector Zhou delivered a presentation titled “Education Cooperation and Innovative Development at City University of Macau.” Leveraging Macao's unique positioning as “one center, one platform, one base,” he highlighted the collaborative programs for undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees with various educational and research institutions, mainland Chinese universities, and renowned universities worldwide.

Moreover, Rector Zhou introduced the University’s development goal as a metropolitan university with “Macao Characteristics, China Soul, Global Vision,” emphasizing bilingual instruction to enhance its distinctive strengths and address the evolving social needs. Vice Rector Zhou also highlighted the University’s international faculty team and ongoing innovative developments in educational cooperation. He expressed the hope that this educational cooperation forum would further foster collaboration and promote the advancement of high-quality education.

The University Presidents Forum invited 12 representatives from universities in Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, the United States, and Macao to deliver keynote speeches and engage in discussions. The aim was to promote exchanges, deepen cooperation, and cultivate young talents with international perspectives and cross-cultural understanding.

At the 2023 China – ASEAN Xishan Forum, Vice Rector Zhou Wanlei delivered a presentation titled “Digital Transformation at City University of Macau,” where he discussed the University’s emphasis on network security and privacy, aligning with the high-tech application implemented on campus. Additionally, he introduced CityU’s efforts in constructing an e-learning environment and cross-disciplinary courses, enhancing students’ digital learning capabilities, cultivating students’ understanding of their country and culture, combining the disciplinary strengths of humanities, technology, and innovation to promote the digital transformation.

Themed on “Youth Innovation Promotes the World Development,” the 2023 China – ASEAN Xishan Forum provided academic exchanges for young people from China, ASEAN countries, and other nations to foster innovation and creativity among global youth in addressing the challenges and development of human society.

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During the visit to Guizhou University, Vice Rector Zhou Wanlei was warmly received by Luo Changjiang, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Guizhou University, and Li Shaobo, Head of the State Key Laboratory of Public Big Data. Vice Rector Zhou also had the opportunity to tour the State Key Laboratory of Public Big Data at Guizhou University. Both parties engaged in discussions and exchanged views on the discipline development and talent cultivation in data science between Guizhou and Macao.

During the visit, Vice Rector Zhou Wanlei conducted a thematic lecture for over 350 faculty members and students in the field of Big Data and Information Engineering at Guizhou University. The lecture, titled “Current Development, Challenges, and Trends in Data Science,” explored the impact and significance of Data Science on public and private companies, society, government, and even the nation. Vice Rector Zhou provided insights into the current state of data science development, opportunities, and challenges. Furthermore, Vice Rector Zhou incorporated his research achievements into the lecture and discussed how to balance data privacy, fairness, and accuracy. He emphasized the importance of privacy protection as a crucial element in the future development of data science.

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Going forward, both parties hope to further promote research, teaching, training, and collaboration between the two universities in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and Information Security. Additionally, they aim to leverage CityU’ expertise in disciplines such as Fintech and Tourism to foster cooperation. The goal is to jointly cultivate high-end professionals with diverse skills that meet the needs of the nation.

Source: Office of Global Affairs