On the evening of November 8, President Xi Jinping and Italian President Mattarella met with representatives of both sides attending the General Assembly of the China-Italy Cultural Cooperation Mechanism and the Dialogue between Chinese and Italian University Presidents in Beijing.
Before the meeting, the two heads of State took a group photo with the representatives of the two sides.
Feng Xiating , President of NEU and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, participated in the meeting.
On November 9, the China-Italy University Presidential Dialogue was held at Peking University. Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng attended the dialogue and delivered a speech. Vice Minister of Education Chen Jie hosted the meeting. Anna Maria Bernini, Minister of University and Research of the Italian Republic, delivered a video address.
Feng Xiating participated in the dialogue and delivered a speech in the parallel forum of "Talent Cultivation and Scientific and Technological Innovation - Opportunities and Challenges of International Cooperation". He said that all faculty and students of NEU take the centenary of the university’s founding as an opportunity to cultivate people and thrive the country, gather their strengths, promote the construction of a world-class university with Chinese characteristics with high quality, and work together to build a powerful country in education, promote the comprehensive revitalization of Northeast China, and advance Chinese-style modernization. With the theme of "Future-oriented Talent Cultivation", Feng Xiating introduced NEU's thoughts and practices on "what kind of talents are needed in the future" and "how do we cultivate future-oriented talents". He noted that NEU has always adhered to the openness of running schools, placing great importance on international exchanges and cooperation. NEU has carried out staff exchanges and scientific research cooperation with a number of Italian universities, including the University of Padua. Looking ahead, NEU anticipates expanding the scope and areas of cooperation with Italian universities and contributing to the cultivation of talents, scientific research, cultural exchanges and mutual appreciation of civilizations between the two countries.
During the dialogue, Feng Xiating exchanged views on inter-university cooperation with the presidents of Italian universities, including Daniela Mapelli, president of the University of Padua, and Fabio Polliche, president of the University of Salento.
