The Northwest Normal University in Lanzhou, Gansu province, hosted the 2023 Asia-Europe International Teacher Education Forum to enhance mutual understanding and promote collaboration in teacher education between China and other nations participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. Functioning as a prominent platform for high-level discussions, the forum focused on advancing the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative and formulating strategies to strengthen the internationalization of higher education in the upcoming phase.
In his keynote speech at the forum, Jia Peng, the deputy director of the Ministry of Education's Department of International Cooperation and Exchange, emphasized education's crucial role in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) collaborative efforts. He highlighted the department's ongoing efforts in comprehensive planning, prioritizing talent development, consistently advancing vibrant people-to-people exchanges, and instilling greater confidence in positioning Chinese education globally.
He further mentioned that collaboration in international production, education, research, and application aligned with the "Belt and Road" is steadily deepening. Zhang Guozhen, the director of the Gansu Provincial Department of Education, underscored the significance of openness and inclusivity in educational cooperation to achieve mutual benefits. He advocated for collective efforts to innovate the international cooperation system and nurture versatile talents, emphasizing that such endeavours would contribute to the prosperity of respective nations and the regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). During the forum, speakers also addressed the opening up of Gansu education and engaged in discussions on international talent development and cooperation to enhance teacher professional growth.
