From April 28 to May 1, 2025, Dean Professor Bie Dunrong and Vice Dean Professor Wang Shutao, were invited by Professor Mo Jiahao, Executive Vice President of Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, to attend the 2025 International Conference on Higher Education Research in Hong Kong. The conference theme was 'The Quest for Internationalization of Higher Education: Comparative Perspectives and International Experiences.' During the conference, our faculty visited several universities to discuss collaboration and exchange, held recruitment seminars at Hong Kong universities, engaged in dialogue with internationally renowned scholars, explored the establishment of an English-language journal, and achieved significant results through visits and exchanges.
Our University has joined the Asia-Pacific Higher Education Research Partnership (APHERP)
During the conference, our university was awarded a membership certificate of the Asia-Pacific Higher Education Research Partnership (APHERP). The Asia-Pacific Higher Education Research Partnership aims to conduct international research on higher education, policy, and governance with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. In 2018, the APHERP Secretariat officially moved from the East-West Center in the United States to Lingnan University. APHERP is committed to establishing an important network to conduct high-quality research and provide specialized training on higher education policy issues that are of common concern and significance across the Asia-Pacific region, with a particular focus on identifying and exploring new issues and trends that are important to higher education. APHERP seeks to identify top scholars worldwide who are interested in and capable of research on higher education in the Asia-Pacific region, encouraging them to carry out collaborative research projects to produce cutting-edge academic outcomes. Likewise, the organization’s mission is to provide quality outlets for this research, seek funding support, and conduct professional training activities based on the accumulated research findings. In addition to our university, other institutions joining the partnership include Beihang University, Durham University, the University of Manchester, Tongji University, and Tsinghua University.
Dean Bie Dunrong attended the roundtable forum of the International Conference on Higher Education Research in Hong Kong
On April 29, Dean Professor Bie Dunrong and his delegation were invited to attend the 2025 International Academic Conference on Higher Education Research in Hong Kong. Dean Bie participated in a roundtable forum titled 'The Impact of Geopolitical Shifts on Higher Education: Seeking Productive University Collaboration in the Greater China Region.' Dean Bie began by discussing the fact that in 2024, mainland China became the second-largest source of students for U.S. universities for the first time, pointing out the significant changes in international higher education exchanges caused by the shifts in Sino-U.S. relations. The changes in international geopolitics have led to a gradual cooling of communication among international university researchers and leaders, becoming an important obstacle to the exchange and cooperation in international higher education. Dean Bie called for university research staff to take practical action and become an important force in addressing the 'winter' of international higher education exchanges and cooperation, given the increasingly severe, complex, and volatile global geopolitical landscape. Dean Bie's speech received strong agreement and warm applause from the attending scholars.
During the meeting, President Professor Bie Dunrong and his delegation had a cordial discussion with internationally renowned scholars such as Cheng Jieming, Simon Marginson, and Bruce Macfarlance. Both sides closely exchanged views on the impact of the current geopolitical situation on international higher education exchanges and cooperation, as well as how higher education researchers can exert their influence under these challenging circumstances. They also negotiated and reached an agreement regarding this year's exchange visit to Xiamen.
Principal Mo Jiahao was invited to serve as the editor-in-chief of 'Perspective of Higher Education.'
During the meeting, Dean Professor Bie Dunrong, and his delegation had a cordial discussion with Professor Mo Jiahao, Executive Vice President of Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, and Professor Simon Marginson from the University of Oxford, closely consulting on the publication matters of the international journal 'Perspective of Higher Education.' Professor Mo Jiahao gladly agreed to serve as the journal's editor-in-chief, while Professor Simon Marginson happily accepted the invitation to serve as the journal's advisor.
‘Perspective of Higher Education’ is jointly sponsored by our university and the Chinese Society of Higher Education. It is an internationally distributed journal that focuses on research and developments in higher education in China and around the world. This journal aims to explore key issues in Chinese and international higher education in depth, including but not limited to policy making, educational practice, teaching innovation, and social impact. At the same time, it closely follows trends and policy changes in international higher education, analyzing cutting-edge academic developments as well as educational exchange and cooperation between countries.
Dean Professor Bie Dunrong, and his delegation visited universities in Hong Kong
During the visit, Dean Professor Bie Dunrong and his delegation successively visited the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong, the Faculty of Education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Faculty of Education and Human Development at the Education University of Hong Kong.
Professor Yang Rui, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong, Vice Dean Professor Wu Minhua, and Professor Zhang Chenwei met with Dean Professor Bie Dunrong and his delegation. Dean Yang nostalgically recalled the work and life experiences he shared with Mr. Pan Maoyuan, and fully acknowledged the significant potential for cooperation between the two sides. Both parties held friendly discussions on multiple aspects, including student exchanges, faculty visits, and academic collaboration among teachers, and looked forward to prospects for future cooperation.
Professor Yin Hongbiao, Head of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Professor Qian Haiyan from the Department of Educational Administration and Policy, met with Vice Dean Professor Wang Shutao and his delegation. Both sides introduced the development history, personnel, disciplinary characteristics, and key areas of their respective faculties, and engaged in friendly discussions on future academic exchanges, visits, and cooperation between the two institutions.
Professor Wang Shutao visited the Faculty of Education and Human Development at The Education University of Hong Kong. During the visit, Dean Bie Dunrong had a cordial meeting with Bruce Macfarlane, the Dean of the Faculty of Education and Human Development at EdUHK. Both sides engaged in friendly discussions on multiple aspects including faculty leadership, teacher exchanges, academic collaboration, and student development, and looked forward positively to promoting closer cooperation between the two faculties.
Our institute held a recruitment and exchange fair at The Chinese University of Hong Kong
On the morning of April 30th, our institute held a talent recruitment and exchange meeting at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The event attracted enthusiastic participation from postdoctoral researchers and doctoral students from the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Vice Dean Wang Shutao gave a comprehensive and in-depth introduction to the attending postdoctoral researchers and doctoral students about the development history of our institute, the conditions for running the school, the current status of discipline construction, educational innovation achievements, talent needs, and future development plans. He also thoroughly explained our university's talent recruitment policies, especially the corresponding benefits, funding support, and work-life guarantees provided for various talents, and conducted a detailed analysis of the resumes of the attending postdoctoral researchers and doctoral students, offering them suggestions.
The postdoctoral fellows and doctoral students present responded enthusiastically and asked questions actively, expressing strong interest and desire to join our institute. Our faculty patiently and thoroughly answered their questions regarding academic planning, job applications, work benefits, and development prospects.
Photo: Wang Shutao
Text: Wang Shutao, Liu Jingjing
