In order to build a platform, establish more school links among universities in Dalian and ASEAN Member States (AMS), and deepen education exchanges and cooperation between China and AMS, the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) successfully held the 2021 AMS Embassy Education Officials’ Trip to Dalian from 7 to 11 June 2021. Ms. Pasupha Chinvarasopak, Minister Counsellor of Education and Science  from the Thai Embassy in China, Mr. Yaya Sutarya, Education and Culture Counsellor of Indonesia Embassy in China, Mr. Phoxay Thepvilayvong, Education and Culture Counsellor of the Lao PDR Embassy in China and representatives from Embassies of Malaysia, Viet Nam, Cambodia and Myanmar to China participated in the event. Mdm. Li Yaying, Deputy Director of the Education, Culture and Tourism Department (ECTD) of ACC and Ms. He Wei, Officer of ECTD joined in the visit.

On 8 June, Dr. Sun Yuqing, President of Dalian Maritime University (DMU), and Dr. Zhao Youtao, Vice President of DMU hosted an official meeting with the delegation, accompanied by Ms. Zhang Lanyu, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Dalian Municipal Government, as well as directors and deans of the International Cooperation and Exchange Office, School of Navigation, School of Marine Engineering, the International Students’ Education Center, the United International College and other departments of DMU. President Sun Yuqing stated that DMU was willing to actively carry out educational exchanges and cooperation with universities from AMS, share educational resources, enhance mutual understanding and cultural identity, and make a more solid foundation to the establishment of China-ASEAN Maritime Education Community with shared ideas, prosperity and responsibilities. 

Mdm. Li Yaying expressed her sincere gratitude for the warm reception of DMU. She emphasized that educational cooperation is one of the most important pillars of people-to-people exchanges. She hoped that the visit could help education officials of AMS embassies in China to enhance their understandings towards DMU and China’s higher maritime education, thus laying a solid foundation for further educational exchanges and collaboration in near future. The ASEAN delegates all put forward suggestions to cooperate in their respective areas of interest. After the meeting, the delegation also visited the University History Museum and the International Students’ Education Center of DMU.

On 9 June, the delegation visited Dongbei University of Finance and Economics (DUFE). Dr. Lv Wei, President of DUFE, and Dr. Fang Hongxing, Vice President of DUFE, hosted an official meeting with the delegation. Directors and deans of the School Office, the Student Management Office,  the Office of Academic Affairs, the Division of International Exchange and Cooperation, the International Education College and other departments attended the meeting. President Lv Wei introduced the basic situation of the university, subject construction, international exchanges and cooperation, and overseas students’ education in China. He also expressed his desire to actively enhance educational exchanges and cooperation in a broad area and in various forms with AMS.

Afterwards, the delegation had discussions with the School of Accounting, the School of Tourism and Management and the School of International Education of DUFE respectively. The relevant sides respectively exchanged their views on short-term and long-term professional training, teacher-student exchange, degree programme of joint cultivation, internship programmes, scholarship programmes and industrial policy advisory, and reached a preliminary intention of cooperation. AMS Embassy Education officials spoke highly of DUFE’s discipline construction in Economics and Management and its close relationship with AMS in the field of education. They are willing to actively promote the establishment of intercollegiate collaboration between universities in their countries and DUFE, conducting in-depth educational exchanges and cooperation, and actively recommending DUFE to undertake relevant governmental  training programmes.

On 10 June, the delegation visited Dalian University of Foreign Languages (DUFL). Dr. Liu Hong, President of DUFL, and Mr. Jiang Fengchun, Vice President of DUFL, had an official meeting with the delegation. Mr. Chen Ce, Director of the Protocol Office of the Foreign Affairs Office of Dalian Municipal People’s Government, and directors and deans of the  International Exchange and Cooperation Division, School of International Relations, and the Academy of Chinese Language of DUFL also attended the meeting. President Liu Hong said that with the deepening of exchanges and cooperation between China and AMS, it has become common that all countries  demand for talents, which means the education cooperation will become an important driving force in promoting the economic and social development of both sides. DUFL will gradually offer more programmes in AMS languages to provide talent support for bilateral exchanges and collaboration. She also proposed specific suggestions for future cooperation, which included receiving strong supports from AMS embassies in China in terms of the construction of new AMS language programmes, teaching materials and introduction of foreign talents. 

Mdm. Li Yaying expressed sincere gratitude to DUFL for its warm reception and considerate arrangements. She also stressed that as the only intergovernmental international organization between ASEAN and China, ACC would continue to give full play to its role as a one-stop information and activity platform to facilitate the sharing of information and resources between AMS and China in education, culture and other fields to promote more practical cooperation.

During the meeting, education officials from seven ASEAN countries briefed on the cooperation and exchanges between universities in their countries and Chinese counterparts as well as subject construction and curriculum provision of their languages in Chinese universities. They said that due to the geographical proximity and cultural similarity as well as the increasingly close cooperation and exchanges between China and AMS, there is an urgent demand for more high-level professional talents to promote exchanges in various fields. They hope to establish more in-depth cooperation with DUFL in the fields of personnel training, teacher-student exchange, scientific research cooperation, studying in China, international promotion of Chinese language with the help of the platform of ACC. AMS Embassies in China will actively provide assistance to DUFL on aspects of school links, teachers’ training and teaching materials.

This trip to Dalian received strong support from the Dalian Municipal People’s Government. On 9 June, Ms. Yao Lan, Deputy Secretary-General of Dalian Municipal People’s Government met with the delegation and hosted a banquet in Bangchui Island Hotel. Mr. Li Baoguang, Director of Foreign Affairs Office of Dalian Municipal People’s Government, and heads of the Bureau of Commerce and the Bureau of Culture and Tourism also attended the event. Both sides had an in-depth exchange of views over further strengthening communication and connection between governments, enterprises, business associations and educational institutions of Dalian and AMS, further promoting win-win cooperation in commerce, education, culture and tourism, sports, media and other fields. 

During their stay in Dalian, the delegation also visited the Lvshun Museum and Dalian Economic Development Zone to learn more about the history, culture and economic development of Dalian. For all ASEAN delegates, it was their first time to visit Dalian, which has achieved fruitful results. Education needs to be taken as a priority in deepening the all-round cooperation between AMS and China. They hoped that ACC could organize more educational visits, in helping them to gain better understanding towards different regions and multiple types of universities in China, so as to facilitate mutual learning and promote people-to-people exchanges between ASEAN and China to a new level.