The 1st Tsinghua Belt and Road Forum for Cooperation and the 9th TUS Innovation Forum held a joint opening ceremony in Kunming, November 24.

With the theme of "innovation and win-win cooperation", the gathering was intended to help integrate Yunnan province with the development of the Belt and Road, strengthen cooperation in scientific and technological innovation, enhance cultural exchanges and make Kunming a regional international metropolis.

The forum's "Belt and Road" Education Cooperation Roundtable was hosted by the Belt and Road Initiative Institute of Yunnan University, drawing domestic and foreign university leaders to participate and share their views on ways to strengthen higher education cooperation between China and South and Southeast Asia.

Domestic and foreign university leaders share their views on how to strengthen higher education cooperation between China and South and Southeast Asia.

Guests attending the roundtable meeting included: Shi Zhiqin, executive dean of the Belt and Road Initiative Institute of Tsinghua University; Zhang Li, vice president of Yunnan University; Mei Meng, honorary chairman of Tus-Holdings; Dr. H. Rashid Askari, president of Kushtia Islamic University; Dr. Anolac Vira, vice president of Souphanouvong University; Dr. Seak Sophat, dean of the Institute of Natural Resource Management and Development of Royal University of Phnom Penh, and Dr. Jirapon, dean of the College of Humanities of Mae Fah Luang University.

Zhang Li, vice president of Yunnan University, attends and addresses the roundtable meeting.

Vice president Zhang said that Yunnan University is devoted to deepening all-round cooperation with universities of South and Southeast Asia to promote the coordinated development of higher education between China and South and Southeast Asia. He also pointed out that the South and Southeast Asian University Rectors Forum is to open in Kunming on Nov 26, when Yunnan University will initiate the establishment of a China-South and Southeast Asian Universities Association in order to explore joint talent cultivation, build joint international research laboratories and other scientific research platforms and expand the international influence of member universities. The suggestion of a new association received positive responses from the attending university leaders.

After an hour of speeches and 30 minutes' discussion, the universities reached consensus upon credit transfer, teachers' exchanges and higher education cooperation between China and South and Southeast Asia.

Bi Shihong, associate dean of the Belt and Road Initiative Institute of Yunnan University, chairs the roundtable meeting and publishes the research results of the institute at the opening ceremony.

Bi Shihong chairs the roundtable meeting and publishes the research results of the Belt and Road Initiative Institute of Yunnan University.

He said that Yunnan University's Belt and Road Initiative Institute has made a series of achievements in helping turn the vision of the initiative into reality. The Institute will step forward to create a new platform for domestic and foreign cooperation, conduct comprehensive research on South and Southeast Asian countries along the Belt and Road, and propose the establishment of a China-South and Southeast Asian Universities Association.