A Delegation from ARENE Visits BPC during the Finnish President's Trip to China

On October 30, a 12-member delegation from the Rectors' Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (ARENE) visited Beijing Polytechnic College (BPC) for exchanges, accompanied by the staff of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the National Academy of Education Administration. The delegation included presidents, vice presidents, and directors of international cooperation and exchanges from eight Finnish universities of applied sciences. Liu Chang'an, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee and President of BPC, received the education delegation in Conference Room 4 of Jiangxin Building. Zhou Yan, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Vice President of BPC, presided over the symposium.

(Scene of the symposium)

Liu Chang'an, on behalf of BPC, warmly welcomed the delegation and provided a brief overview of the college's advancements in international education. He stated that Finland is a significant educational partner for China and has extensive experience in vocational education. During his visit to France in May of this year, President Xi Jinping proposed a crucial initiative aimed at doubling the number of European youth participating in Sino-European exchange programs. In October, Chen Jie, Vice Minister of Education of China, visited Finland and held discussions with Mikaela Nylander, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland. The leaders reached a series of agreements across several areas, including promoting the implementation of the initiative to double the number of European youth participating in Sino-European exchange programs, deepening cooperation in higher education, basic education, vocational education, and digital education, and jointly engaging in global education governance. He emphasized that President Alexander Stubb of Finland was currently visiting China, and the timing of the delegation's visit would have a significant impact on bilateral cooperation in education. He expressed his sincere hope that both parties would seize this opportunity for exchange and looked forward to deeper interactions and collaboration with ARENE member universities and renowned enterprises in Finland in areas such as cooperative education and university-enterprise partnerships. These collaborations are expected to inject fresh vitality into China-Finland educational cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, making positive contributions to promoting friendly relations and mutual benefits between the two countries.

Heikki Saastamoinen, President of South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to BPC for their warm reception on behalf of the delegation. He also sincerely expressed his strong aspiration to carry out in-depth exchanges and cooperation with BPC in education. He pointed out that Finland and China have a long-standing history of cooperation in education, having established a robust and extensive foundation. He noted that, despite some differences in their educational systems, both countries share many similarities. Both place a high value on the quality of education and are dedicated to fostering students' innovative abilities and comprehensive qualities. Heikki Saastamoinen also stressed that both the peoples of Finland and China are sincere and diligent, and their focus on and investment in education are valuable assets shared by both countries. He expressed his hope that the two nations will further deepen their cooperation, enhance exchanges and interactions, and work together to improve the quality and level of vocational education, thereby contributing to cultivating more high-quality technical talent and promoting educational exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

The two parties had in-depth and fruitful exchanges and discussions on student training, faculty training, collaborative education, and other areas. Both expressed a shared vision and ardent expectations for further international practical cooperation and exchanges in education. They hoped to inject new impetus and vitality into the educational development of the two countries, effectively implement the educational cooperation documents signed by President Stubb during his visit to China, and elevate the educational cooperation between the two countries to new heights.

Accompanied by Zhou Yan, the delegation visited the Sino-French Application-oriented Talent Training and Research Center for Energy Efficiency Management, Automobile Maintenance Training Center, 3D Printing Training Center, Robot Training Center, Intelligent O&M Training Center, BIM Training Center, and Smart Construction Site Training Center in succession. The guests expressed high appreciation and full affirmation of BPC's theory-practice integration teaching mode and its excellent training conditions.

(The delegation visits the training rooms of BPC)

(Group photo of participants)

Heads of BPC's relevant departments, including the Academic Affairs Office, Development Planning Office, and International Exchanges Cooperation and Office, attended the symposium.