In the 2023 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week held in Gui’an New Area, Guizhou Province, Southwest China, a significant milestone was achieved with the establishment of a digital education alliance between China and ASEAN countries. This monumental move involved the participation of 60 international education institutions from countries such as Malaysia and Singapore.
Wang Qiming, president of the Open University of China, outlined the vision for the alliance. “Our vision is to build a comprehensive transnational digital education service platform and cooperation network to help learners lower their educational costs and gain lifetime learning opportunities,” he stated. This vision aligns with the event’s theme, “New Vision for Education Cooperation, Common Prosperity for the Belt and Road,” which sets the tone for the 122 activities planned throughout the year, 65 of which took place during the event’s inaugural period.
J. Prospero Devera III, chairman of the Commission on Higher Education in the Philippines, expressed his hopes for the event and the alliance. “It is hoped that through deepening educational cooperation such as digital education, it will promote the common prosperity and development of China and ASEAN, and create a brighter future for the people of both sides,” Devera said.
The opening ceremony was graced with a keynote speech by China’s Minister of Education, Huai Jinpeng, and attended by officials and education representatives from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Laos. Huai highlighted the importance of education in the China-ASEAN relationship and its role as an engine for mutual prosperous development. He also reiterated China’s commitment to working hand in hand with ASEAN countries to provide talent and innovative support for the Belt and Road Initiative, and emphasized the importance of people-to-people and cultural exchanges in enhancing cooperation between China and ASEAN countries.
The week-long event included activities such as young people’s art exhibitions, education forums, and robot competitions. By the end of the event, more than 50 memorandums of cooperation were achieved, marking a significant step forward in the educational cooperation between China and the ASEAN countries. This cooperation is expected to provide a solid foundation for the continued development of the China-ASEAN relationship and contribute to the common prosperity and development of the region.
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