On 29 July 2017, the Preparatory Working Conference on China-ASEAN Economic Universities Consortium, hosted by University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) of China, was held in Guiyang during the 10th China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (CAECW). ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), as one of the supporters of the event, participated in the Conference. Ms. Kong Roatlomang, Director of Education, Culture and Tourism Division, read out the remarks of ACC Secretary-General at the event.

In her remarks, Secretary-General Yang Xiuping said that in the context of the slow recovery of world economy and the development of regional integration, ASEAN and China are at a crucial stage of economic development and cooperation. Both sides are facing common tasks to maintain economic vitality and achieve sustainable development, which require a large number of professionals in relevant areas. Economic universities shoulder important responsibilities to train students majored in economics. She hoped today’s preparatory working conference could lay a solid foundation for the establishment of the consortium so as to create a new platform in enhancing exchanges and cooperation between relevant universities of both sides. She also expected the upcoming consortium could help cultivate more professionals in economics and enhance the ASEAN-China people-to-people exchanges.

Mr. Wang Jiaqiong, President of UIBE, welcomed all the participants to the Conference, stating that the Consortium aims to create synergy for education development through sharing high-quality resources so as to create a platform, inject vitality, develop new cooperation mechanism, discuss on collaboration and facilitate the development in the areas of students mobility, higher education, regional economic research, policy making and instructors’ team building. He expected that the Consortium could be inaugurated at the end of this year.

The conference was attended by almost 80 participants including embassy officials, representatives from universities of China and ASEAN countries, as well as economists from international organizations. Mr. Zhao Lingshan, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the Ministry of Education of China, Mr. Xu Ningning, Executive President of China-ASEAN Business Council and Mr. Yang Yong, Vice President of Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, participated in the Conference and delivered remarks. The Conference also discussed on the Charter of China-ASEAN Economic Universities Consortium in a warm atmosphere.