The Induction Ceremony for UCMSR New Members. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Second University Presidents Forum of the University Consortium of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (UCMSR) was held at Xiamen University (XMU) on June 12, bringing together nearly 150 university leaders and representatives from more than 30 institutions across over 10 countries and regions.

Participants included Fabrizio Hochschild, former UN under-secretary-general, officials from China's Ministry of Education and Fujian provincial education authorities, as well as university representatives from countries such as Britain, Italy, Turkey, Nigeria, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, and Indonesia.

During the opening ceremony, alliance members admitted five new institutions: Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Nigeria, Prince of Songkla University in Thailand, Royal University of Law and Economics in Cambodia, Gadjah Mada University in Indonesia, and Universitas Pelita Harapan in Indonesia.

Hu Wenping, chair of the UCMSR Executive Council, president of XMU, and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced the university's internationalization initiatives and unveiled its 2030 Global Development Strategy, which outlines plans for international partnerships, overseas education programs, international student enrollment, faculty development, and research cooperation.

The conference also featured an international higher education exhibition and a case-study exhibition on talent development and global governance. Nearly 20 Chinese and overseas universities presented their academic programs and educational achievements.

The consortium was launched in October 2018 by XMU and 38 domestic and overseas institutions with support from the Fujian Provincial Department of Education. To date, 73 universities and research institutions across five continents have joined the consortium.