Prof. Jun Liu, rector of the City University of Macau (CityU), was invited to attend the 2024 Talent Cultivation Promotion Conference on Industry-Education Integration and Science-Education Integration yesterday. The conference was hosted by the China Wisdom Engineering Association and Liaoning University. During the conference, Rector Jun Liu delivered a keynote speech titled “Opportunities and Challenges of Internationalization in Macao’s Higher Education” and visited Liaoning University for exchange. Rector Liu and Vice President Huo Chunhui of Liaoning University signed a cooperation agreement on behalf of their respective universities, further strengthening the exchange and cooperation between the two institutions.

Notable leaders and guests attended the conference, including Gu Shengzu, vice chairman of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and vice chairman of the National Association of Vocational Education of China, Pan Yishan, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and party secretary of the Liaoning University, and Li Hongyin, party secretary of the Shenyang Polytechnic College. The conference, themed “Integration and Fusion: New Talents for New Quality Productive Forces,” featured multiple sessions to explore topics such as: “Facing 2035: Strategic Choices and Practical Paths for Universities,” “Cultivating New Quality Productive Forces, Stimulating New Economic Development Momentum,” “Cultivating New Quality Productive Forces in an International Perspective,” “Promoting Institutional and Mechanistic Innovation, Forming a Creative Ecosystem Where Education, Science and Technology, Talent, and Regional, Industrial, and Socioeconomic Development Intertwine,” and “Exploring and Practicing the Deepening of Industry-Education Integration and University-Enterprise Cooperation.”

Rector Jun Liu started by discussing the unique characteristics and advantages of Macao. He analyzed the six major advantages of Macao’s development, focusing on its regime, development space, internationalization, economic foundation, humanities and history, and patriotic traditions. He then introduced the targeted industry structure of Macao’s “1+4” economic diversification strategy, and explained the four strategic development positions of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

Following his presentation, Rector Jun Liu delved into the development history of City University of Macau (CityU), providing a deep understanding of the current state and unique features of higher education in Macao. He outlined ten key characteristics of internationalization in higher education, and analyzed the challenges faced in the future of internationalization in terms of talent, resources, systems, experience, perspectives, and sustainable development.

During his visit to Liaoning University, Rector Jun Liu introduced the latest development of CityU, covering its historical evolution, disciplinary advantages, research, and collaborative exchanges. He acknowledged the fruitful results of the two universities’ collaboration over the past decade, and put forward suggestions for future cooperation in areas such as student exchange, research collaboration, and discipline construction. Vice President Huo Chunhui provided an overview of Liaoning University and current development, highlighting the long-standing foundation of exchange and cooperation between the two universities. He emphasized that the two institutions have achieved complementary advantages and collaborative development in multiple disciplines, yielding fruitful results in areas such as think tank construction, academic journals, and funding application for research projects. Looking ahead, both universities hope to further expand their collaborative exchanges, sharing resources and working together to cultivate talent, thereby promoting national and regional socioeconomic development.

Other participants from Liaoning University included Huo Weidong, deputy director of the Division of Economics; Li Zheng, dean of the School of Economics; Shi Yun, associate dean of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences; Zhao Zhongzhou, head of the Technology Cooperation and Technology Transfer Department of the Science and Technology Institute; Li Dan, associate dean of the School of Finance and Trade; Tong Yan, standing member of the party committee and director of the United Front Work Department and Office of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Affairs. Chen Benchang, deputy director of the Research Centre for Macau Social and Economic Development, also attended the meeting.