The South and Southeast Asian University Network is inaugurated during a ceremony, which also marked the second South and Southeast Asian University Presidents Forum, in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, on Dec 10. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]

Yang Lin, Party secretary of Yunnan University, delivers a speech at the ceremony marking the establishment of the South and Southeast Asian University Network, Dec 10. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]

The South and Southeast Asian University Network was inaugurated at a ceremony, which also marked the second South and Southeast Asian University Presidents Forum, in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, on Dec 10. 

The ceremony was attended by Abdul Aziz How Abdullah, education counselor of Malaysia’s embassy in China; IEM Puthviro, consul-general of Cambodia’s consulate general in Kunming; Phouva Samounty, deputy consul of Laos’ consulate general in Kunming; Myat Soe, consul of Myanmar’s consulate general in Kunming; Vinh Nguyen and Duc Trung Hoang, consuls of Vietnam’s consulate general in Kunming; 240 university presidents and representatives from 87 universities based in 15 countries, including China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Cambodia, and Laos, as well as other countries in South and Southeast Asia. 

The event also saw Achavadee Wiroonpetch, program director of the secretariat at the ASEAN University Network; Naparat Phirawattanakul, senior program officer of the ASEAN University Network, as well as other representatives from Yunnan Education Department, Yunnan Foreign Affairs Office and YNU in attendance. 

Lin Wenxun, president of YNU; Naweed Zaman, president of Pakistan National University of Science and Technology; Sok Touch, dean of Cambodia’s Royal College of Sciences; Lakshman Dissanayake, president of Sri Lanka’s University of Colombo; Bangchong Mahaisavariya, from Thailand’s Mahidol University; Du Peng, vice-president of Renmin University of China; Chen Zhimin, vice-president of Fudan University; Xiong Sidong, president of Suzhou University; Zhou Chuangbin, president of Nanchang University, and Ji Jianzhou, president of Tibetan University, together announced the establishment of the South and Southeast Asian University Network. A total of 103 universities make up the original members of the network. 

At a meeting prior to the ceremony, members of the network agreed to set up a standing secretariat of the network at YNU, and elect YNU President Lin Wenxun the first secretary-general of the network and YNU Vice-President Zhang Li as deputy secretary-general. 

Yang Lin, Party secretary of YNU, delivered a speech at the ceremony, in which he expressed his thanks to the network for being a trustworthy partner of YNU ––– by setting up the standing secretariat at the university. 

Yang vowed that YNU would build the network into a platform for all members to conduct exchanges and pragmatic cooperation. 

At the ceremony, Lin Wenxun announced the Kunming Declaration of the South and Southeast University Network. According to the declaration, all members agreed to form a non-profit regional university consortium based on the principles of equality, willingness, cooperation and development, and should operate itself in accordance with the legal systems of member countries. 

Lin also signed cooperation deals with Lakshman Dissanayake, president of Sri Lanka’s University of Colombo; Abdur Rab, president of Bangladesh’s University of International Business and Agricultural Technology, and Mohammad Abid, vice-president of Pakistan’s University of Peshawar. 

Lin and Sok Touch jointly unveiled the name plaque of the Cambodian Studies Center built by YNU and Cambodia’s Royal College of Sciences. 

Chen Zhimin, Lakshman Dissanayake and Bangchong Mahaisavariya delivered keynote speeches at the conference. Zhu Huashan, deputy director of Yunnan Education Department, also delivered remarks to extend his congratulations. 

On the afternoon of Dec 10, the second South and Southeast Asian University Presidents Forum convened. 

Presided over by Zhou Chuangbing, president of Nanchang University, Naweed Zaman, president of Pakistan National University of Science and Technology; Ishwari Prasad Dhakai, president of Nepal’s University of Agriculture and Forestry; Xiong Siodng, president of Suzhou University; Aung Kyaw, vice-president of Myanmar’s University of Yangon; Gan Xuechun, president of Red River College and Somchanh Bouunphanmy, vice-president of the National University of Laos, delivered keynote speeches at the forum on building a regional education community.

At another keynote speech session chaired by Anjum Halai, vice-president of Pakistan’s Aga Khan University, Di Peng, vice-president of Renmin University of China; M Harun-Ur-Rashid Askari, vice-president of Bangladesh’s Islamic University; Ir.Bambang Riyanto Trilaksono, a professor of Indonesia’s Bandung university of Technology; YNU President Lin Wenxun; Imran HO Abdullah, vice-president of the National University of Malaysia; Tsui Kai Chong, academic dean of Singapore University of Social Sciences, and Chintamani Maphapatra, president of Jawaharlal Nehru University, delivered remarks on building an internationalized university.

Representatives inaugurate the South and Southeast Asian University Network at a ceremony, in Kunming, Yunnan province, on Dec 10. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]

The South and Southeast Asian University Presidents Forum takes place on the afternoon of Dec 10. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]