From November 26 to 30, a delegation headed by Shu Gequn, Executive Deputy Party Secretary of Tianjin University (TJU), visited Malaysia and Indonesia, where they visited the University of Malaya (UM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Gadjah Mada University (UGM), and attended the 3rd General Assembly of the ASEAN-China Network for Cooperation and Exchange among Engineering and Technology Universities (ACNET-EngTech).

During their visit to UM, the TJU delegates were warmly received by Dr. Ramesh Singh, Deputy Dean of the UM Faculty of Engineering, and other heads from relevant offices. Dr. Singh, on behalf UM, described the University’s history, current situation and subject arrangements, as well as the development of teaching and scientific research in the Faculty of Engineering. Delegates from TJU’s School of Mechanical Engineering and School of Chemical Engineering also outlined the distinctions and strength of their Schools. Additionally, Shu Gequn explained the development of ACNET-EngTech, and extended his welcome to UM after joining ACNET-EngTech and invited UM to attend the 3rd General Assembly. Both sides believed that they could complement each other in the fields of engineering and technology. They hoped that in the near future more substantive cooperation, by the virtue of the ACNET-EngTech platform could be established in many ways including faculty and student exchanges, joint training of high-quality personnel and joint research centers.

During the visit to UPM, the TJU delegation held talks with Professor Renuganth Varatharajoo, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University and other leaders. Professor Varatharajoo explained UPM’s development of teaching and research, especially its cooperation with enterprises and the commercialization of scientific and technological advances. In addition, UPM attached great importance to its cooperation with Chinese universities and planned to send 80 students to China for their university studies, with 20 of them expected to study at TJU. Shu said that students and teachers from UPM are warmly welcome to visit and learn at TJU. Both sides hoped to take this visit as a starting point for student exchange in the fields of mechanical and chemical engineering before expanding cooperation into more fields. After the talks, the delegates visited the labs of UPM and had a discussion with the researchers.

Shu Gequn addressed the ACNET-EngTech Assembly, which was sponsored by Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember. He said that since its inception, UPM had extended the scope and depth of communication and cooperation among its members through various people-to-people exchanges in academic activities. It had become a platform for cooperation and exchange between China and ASEAN in higher education. He summed up the main accomplishments achieved by UPM in 2017, such as the foundation of the China-ASEAN Science and Technology Research Institute, and various student exchange activities.

The ACNET-EngTech Assembly announced that Tianjin University would hold the rotating presidency of ACNET-EngTech in 2018, and UM was officially accepted as a new member. When it came to the annual working plan for 2018, Mahidol University suggested that ACNET-EngTech should found the Capability Building Center, which would become a platform for academic exchange, hence promoting the application and transformation of advanced technology and scientific research achievements of its members. Professor Shu Gequn hosted the symposium and stressed that ACNET-EngTech had constantly developed. He hoped that ACNET-EngTech would attract more and more Chinese and ASEAN’s high-level institutions, promote student and teacher exchange, enhance scientific research cooperation among its members, and plan different levels of cooperation programs according to its members’ capacity. Tianjin University, as the Chinese permanent chairman and secretariat of the ACNET-EngTech, is willing to join hands with its sister institutions to facilitate higher education cooperation and people-to-people communication between China and ASEAN.

During the visit to Universitas Gadjah Mada, Dr. Danang Sri Hadmoko, the director of international affairs, and heads of relevant schools received the delegation. Dr. Hadmoko described the history and present situation of UGM and its cooperation with Chinese institutions. Professor Shu Gequn introduced the teaching and scientific research, preeminent disciplines, international cooperation as well as the construction and development of the ACNET-EngTech. He extended his warm welcome to the Universitas Gadjah Mada as the ACNET-EngTech’s newest member. Both sides reached an agreement on student short-term exchange and scientific research cooperation in chemistry and chemical engineering and mechanical engineering.

Editors: Sun Xiaofang and Ross Colquhoun