The Executive Council of the China-UK Humanities Alliance for Higher Education convened its first meeting for the year 2021 online on April 14, as Tsinghua University begins its 110th Anniversary celebrations.
At the meeting co-hosted by Tsinghua University and the University of Exeter, representatives of the Alliance member Higher Education institutions exchanged their views on the alliance's future plans and events, including the upcoming annual summit in May under the theme of “Reimagining the Global.”
Established in 2016, the Alliance comprises 17 leading colleges and universities from China and the UK. Initiated by Tsinghua University and co-founded by the members, its Secretariat is housed in Institute for World Literatures and Culture (IWLC), Tsinghua University.
The Chairperson of Tsinghua University Council Chen Xu, who serves as the President of the Alliance, delivered her remarks at the meeting.
She pointed out that the Alliance members' efforts last year to seek new development in humanities education and research regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic had not only deepened the mutual trust and friendship between themselves but also promoted cooperation between the two countries in higher education to a new level.
“Let's continue to work together to promote humanities education, academic cooperation, talent training and humanities exchanges between China and the UK, and contribute to the enhancement of cross-cultural development of humanities education,” she said.
Ms Chen announced that Fudan University would be hosting the Alliance’s annual summit in 2022.
Ms Chen also took the occasion to inform the Alliance members about the Global Forum of University Presidents 2021 to be held from April 19 to 24 as part of Tsinghua’s 110th Anniversary celebrations.
The forum, which will be held both online and offline on the theme of “Innovate for the Future: Vision and New Mission of Universities," will bring together leaders of more than 110 universities, explore emerging aspirations for global higher education, and seek greater collaboration.
In her speech, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter Lisa Roberts briefed the Alliance members on preparations for the Alliance’s continuing forums of its annual summit scheduled for next month. The University of Exeter hosts this year’s summit, which will be held online for the first time due to the ongoing pandemic.
“Given the work done by colleagues to ensure that early career scholars and Ph.D students can contribute to this summit, it is my hope that connections built in May will allow the next generation of scholars to work together on projects linked to the environmental humanities, building communities, and transcultural studies,” she said.
Professor Yan Haiping, Chair of the Executive Council and Secretary-General of the Alliance and Dean of Tsinghua Institute for World Literatures and Cultures (IWLC) , moderated the executive council meeting.
Afterward, a plenary session was held on the theme of “Reimaging the Global Universities.”
Senior Lecturer Hao Gao from the University of Exeter, Sun Youzhong, Vice-President of Beijing Foreign Studies University, Suk-Ying Wong, Associate Vice-President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Graeme Earl, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, King’s College London shared their insights on how universities and humanities education in particular should move forward in the post-pandemic era.
The plenary session ended in excellent exchanges between Chinese and British scholars with the expectation of the follow-up forum in May.
Writer: Sangeet
Editors: Li Han,John Olbrich
