The 1st Presidents’ Forum on University Development and the Preparatory Roundtable on Global Alliance of Metropolitan Universities
As the City University of Macau celebrated its 40th anniversary, it invited leaders of different universities to gather together and talk about opportunities for development and cooperation among universities and discussed about the establishment of the Global Alliance of Metropolitan Universities, which would look at ways to deepen and facilitate cooperation and exchanges. The Forum was attended by more than 70 leaders and representatives from 19 local and Mainland universities. There were also 10 leaders and representatives from Taiwanese and overseas universities participating online. Liu Limin and Wang Yongli, respectively President and Secretary-General of the China Education Association for International Exchange, Teng Sio Hong, Deputy Director of Education and Youth Affairs Bureau of Macao SAR and CityU Rector Jun Liu officiated and spoke at the opening ceremony.
Rector Jun Liu thanked all the guests for attending the event. He pointed out that CityU had always attached great importance to academic exchanges and cooperation with major universities at home and abroad. International education was an important strategy for the development of the University and it was committed to cultivating professional talent who loved the country and loved Macao. CityU had always adhered to the principles of “rooted in Macao, serving the region”, closely linking the University with the development of the city to achieve “a university in the city, the city in the university” and applying research achievements to serve Macau, the Greater Bay Area and the country. The forum gave participants an opportunity to share their insights and insights and outlook for the University
Prof Liu Limin, President of the China Education Association for International Exchange, said that the City University of Macau took the lead in the preparation for setting up the Global Alliance of Metropolitan Universities, which fully reflected the expectations of various universities to strengthen high-level international exchanges and cooperation in the post-epidemic era. The initiative also demonstrated the commitment of metropolitan universities to shoulder the responsibility to nurture talent and provide intellectual support needed for promoting the regional economic and social development. Prof Liu Limin also set out three expectations on universities with respect to their future development and talent cultivation: the first focus should be the needs arising from the social and economic development and the development of industries with an aim to comprehensively improve the development capabilities of the regions served; the second focus should be the reform of education models and learning methods to comprehensively improve the quality of talent cultivation; the third focus should be the normalization of epidemic prevention and control requirements, strengthening the overall safety systems for teachers, students and campus.
Teng Sio Hong, Deputy Director of Education and Youth Affairs Bureau of Macao SAR, said that with the joint efforts of the universities and the SAR government, higher education in Macau had reached a certain scale. The SAR government supported and encouraged local universities to enhance cooperation with those in other places. The announcement of the important national strategy of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area would certainly drive and see deeper and broader cooperation between universities in Macao and those in international cities, in particular, a new page would be turned with respect to the cooperation in resources sharing, personnel exchanges and transformation of research outcomes. The establishment of the Global Alliance of Metropolitan Universities was a very meaningful initiative conducive to greater cooperation between universities
The theme of the forum was “ Universities in the Future and the Future of Universities” and covered the five topics of "The Development of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Talent Cultivation of Universities”, “The Industrialization of Higher Education and Local Economic Development”, “Disruptive Technology and ‘Challenges’ and ‘Opportunities’ for University Development”, “In-depth and Multi-dimensional Interaction between Universities and Cities”, “International Collaboration and Exchanges between Universities in the Post-pandemic Era”.
Leaders and representatives who delivered keynote speeches at the meeting included (in no particular order): Prof Xiong Sidong, President of Soochow University, Prof Zhang Bo, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Prof Zhou Aoying, Vice President of East China Normal University, Prof Shi Youqi, President of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Prof Shi Weidong, President of Nantong University, Wu Kaijun, Vice President of Guangzhou University, Prof Liang Ruixiong, President of Guangdong University of Science and Technology, Prof Chen Zhi, Executive Vice President of Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, Prof Zhong Yijun, Party Secretary of Zhuhai City Polytechnic, Prof Zhang Baizhan, Head of Academic Affairs, Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai, Prof Michael King Man Hui, Vice Rector of the University of Macau, Dr Fanny Vong, President of the Macau Institute for Tourism Studies, Chair Prof Jacky So Yuk Chow, Vice President of the Macau University of Science and Technology, Dr Lei Ngan Lin, Vice President of Macau Polytechnic Institute, Dr Tong Kai Chung, President of the Macau Institute of Management, Prof Jane Harrington, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Greenwich, UK, Prof Camila Ribeiro Romeiro, President of Newton Paiva University Centre, Brazil, Prof Wang, Ru-Jer, President of the National Taichung University of Education (online), Dr Kao-Cheng Wang, Vice President for International Affairs ,of Tamkang University (online), Wang Shuyin, Vice President of Chinese Culture University (online), Prof Wang Zhengyan, President of National Kaohsiung Normal University(online), Prof Paulo Jorge Ferreira, Rector of the University of Aveiro, Portugal (online), Prof Ana Costa Freitas, Rector of the University of évora, Portugal (online), Prof Yow Ho Kwang, Vice-President of the Tunku Abdul Rahman University(online) and Prof Byong-Jin You, President of Myongji University, South Korea (online).
At the preparatory meeting for the Global Alliance of Metropolitan Universities, the participating members affirmed the importance of the Alliance as a new form and a new platform for exchanges and cooperation between universities in the post-pandemic era. By adopting a more targetted approach, it transcended the past traditional forms of cooperation and exchanges of an alliance and promoted deeper and easier cooperation and exchanges among member universities of the Alliance.
Rector Jun Liu proposed that counterpart universities be identified and efforts be made to attract universities in the Greater Bay Area and the rest of Mainland, and international universities, including those in Portuguese-speaking countries, to join the Alliance. Members of the Alliance should seek to set up a mechanism for mutual program recognition, promote short-term exchanges, and build a joint cultivation system featuring Bachelor’s- Master’s programs, launch cooperation in the areas of Chinese cultural studies, smart city, featured finance, big health and cross-cultural communication based on their own needs, performing the role as a global alliance in multiple directions and at multiple levels by conducting interdisciplinary research on the development of smart cities.
During the discussion within the framework of the Global Alliance of Metropolitan Universities, Pro-Rector Sean Li proposed that a three-tier cooperation platforms covering the Greater Bay Area, national and international levels be set up to provide teachers and students with learning and research opportunities and better serve the needs of metropolitan development. The meeting reached a consensus on establishing and participating in the Global Alliance of Metropolitan Universities. The Alliance was expected to be established in Macao in the second half of 2021 and would promote cooperation in areas such as improving quality of students, broadening international horizons, teachers and research and mutual credit recognition.
城大舉辦都會型大學全球聯盟籌備會議暨首屆校長論壇
在澳門城市大學40周年校慶之際，城大廣邀高校領導歡聚一堂，共商大學合作與發展機遇，同時商討成立都會型大學全球聯盟，共同探討如何深入和便利合作交流。本次論壇共有來自19所本澳高校與內地高校的領導、代表70餘人參會，還有10所台灣地區及國外高校領導、代表於線上參會。中國教育國際交流協會會長劉利民教授、王永利秘書長，澳門特區政府教育與青年發展局丁少雄副局長，城大劉駿校長主禮論壇開幕儀式並致辭。
劉駿校長在致辭中感謝所有出席嘉賓，城大一直非常重視與海內外各大兄弟院校的學術交流與合作。國際化辦學是大學發展的重要戰略，大學致力於培養具有愛國愛澳情懷、擁有開闊國際視野的專業人才。城大秉承“根植澳門、服務區域”的辦學理念，將大學與城市發展密切聯係在一起，“校在城中、城在校中”，注重將研究成果服務於澳門、大灣區和國家。通過本次論壇匯聚各方真知灼見，共同展望大學的未來。
中國教育國際交流協會會長劉利民教授在致辭中指出，由澳門城市大學牽頭籌備都會型大學全球聯盟，充分反映了後疫情時期各校對加強高水準國際交流合作的期待，也充分展現了都會型大學為推進區域經濟社會發展提供人才和智力支撐方面的擔當作為。劉利民教授對高校的未來發展與人才培養也提出三點期望：一是聚焦經濟社會和產業發展需求，全面提高服務區域發展能力；二是聚焦育人模式和學習方式變革，全面提升人才培養品質；三是聚焦疫情防控常態化要求，全面強化師生和校園安全體系建設。
本次論壇以“未來的大學和大學的未來”為主旨，包含「粵港澳大灣區發展與大學人才培養」、「高等教育產業化與本澳經濟發展」、「顛覆性技術與大學發展的“危”和“機” 」、「大學與城市深層和多維如何互動」、「後疫情時代大學的國際流動與合作」五個主題。
於會上進行主題發言的高校領導及代表包括（以下排名不分先後）：蘇州大學校長熊思東教授、中國社會科學院大學副校長張波教授、華東師範大學副校長周傲英教授、廣東外語外貿大學校長石佑啟教授、南通大學校長施衛東教授、廣州大學副校長吳開俊教授、廣東科技學院校長梁瑞雄教授、北京師範大學-香港浸會大學聯合國際學院常務副校長陳致教授、珠海城市職業技術學院黨委書記鍾以俊教授、北京理工學院珠海學院教務長張百棧教授、澳門大學副校長許敬文教授、澳門旅遊學院院長黃竹君博士、澳門科技大學副校長蘇育洲講座教授、澳門理工學院副院長李雁蓮博士、澳門管理學院院長唐繼宗博士、英國格林威治大學校長Jane Harrington教授、巴西Newton Paiva University Centre校長Camila Ribeiro Romeiro教授、台中教育大學校長王如哲教授(線上)、淡江大學國際事務副校長王高成教授(線上)、中國文化大學副校長王淑音教授(線上)、高雄師範大學副校長王政彥教授(線上)、葡萄牙阿威羅大學校長Paulo Jorge Ferreira教授(線上)、葡萄牙埃武拉大學校長Ana Costa Freitas教授(線上)、馬拉西亞拉曼大學副校長Yow Ho Kwang教授(線上)、韓國明知大學校長Byong-Jin You教授(線上)。
在都會型大學全球聯盟籌備會議上，與會成員肯定了聯盟的重要意義，是後疫情時代高校間交流合作的新形勢與新平台，超越了以往傳統聯盟的交流，擁有更強的針對性，使聯盟內成員高校間的合作交流更加便利、更加深入。
劉駿校長提出需尋找對口院校，吸取内地院校、大灣區院校與包括葡語國家在内的國際學校參與，建立課程互認機制，促進短期交流，並構建本碩連讀、聯合培養制度，按照自身需求在中國文化研究、智慧城市、特色金融、大健康和跨文化交際等領域開展合作，通過交叉學科研究智慧城市建設，多方位、多層次地發揮全球聯盟的作用。
李樹英協理副校長在都會型大學全球聯盟的框架内的討論中，提出在灣區、全國和國際三個層次搭建合作平臺，從而向師生提供學習與科研機會，更好地服務於都會發展。會議就建設並參與都會型大學全球聯盟達成共識，聯盟預計於2021年下半年在澳門成立，並從提高學生質量、擴大國際視野、教師科研、學分互認等方面開展合作。
