From November 27 to 29, Zhong Denghua, the President of Tianjin University, led a delegation to visit the Indonesia Maritime Institute and the University of Indonesia. He also attended the third meeting of the Cultural and People-to-People Exchange Mechanism between China and Indonesia at Vice Premier's Level.

During the visit to the Indonesia Maritime Institute, Siswanto Rusdi, Director of the Institute, met the delegation from Tianjin University. Siswanto Rusdi said he had previously visited the School of Marine Science and Technology at Tianjin University and was impressed by the research being carried out in the field of Marine Science. Siswanto Rusdi said that he was looking forward to conducting more in-depth exchange and cooperation with Tianjin University on undersea exploration, ocean energy utilization and environment protection. President Zhong Denghua introduced the history of the Tianjin University, the preponderant disciplines of the school, the relevant work of the ASEAN-China Network for Cooperation and Exchange among Engineering and Technology Universities (ACNET-EngTech), as well as the cooperation with universities in Indonesia. He introduced in particular the School of Marine Science and Technology at Tianjin University and the development and strengths of TJU in the field of Marine Science, hoping that the two sides will carry out substantive cooperation in the field of Marine Science and Technology.

Muhammad Anis, the Rector of the University of Indonesia, met with the delegation from Tianjin University. Muhammad Anis welcomed Tianjin University and gave a brief introduction of the basic situation, academic strength, major disciplines and international cooperation of the University of Indonesia. Zhong Denghua introduced the history of the Tianjin University, the major disciplines of the school, the relevant work of the ACNET-EngTech, as well as the cooperation with the universities in Indonesia. During the talks, the two sides expressed the wish to conduct substantive cooperation on student exchange, personnel communication, research cooperation and other matters, hoping to conduct in-depth cooperation in talent cultivation and scientific research in the Marine Science in the China-ASEAN Intelligent Marine Center led by Tianjin University. At the same time, the two sides exchanged views on sending students to Tianjin to conduct experiments and for internships in enterprises. On behalf of the two universities, Zhong Denghua and Muhammad Anis signed a “Memorandum of Cooperation” and an “Agreement on Student Exchange”.

On November 28, Chinese Vice Premier Liu and Indonesian Coordinating Minister of Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani co-hosted the third meeting of the China-Indonesia people-to-people exchange mechanism at the vice-premier level in Solo, Indonesia. TJU President Zhong Denghua led the delegation to attend the meeting. The meeting was an important step to promote the development of "the Belt and Road" initiative. In the past three years since the establishment of the China-Indonesia people-to-people exchange mechanism, bilateral cooperation in the fields of education, science and technology, culture, health and sports has yielded fruitful results. This activity will promote in-depth and substantive cooperation between the universities of China and Indonesia, thus promoting exchange and cooperation between the two countries in the fields of culture and humanities.

Editors: Sun Xiaofang and Ross Colquhoun