The 2nd University Partners Summit of Beihang University was held at the university's Hangzhou International Campus on October 22, bringing together more than 230 experts and scholars from over 130 universities and research institutes across 50 countries and regions.

The summit, with the theme "Building Inclusive, Innovative, and Collaborative Sustainable Partnerships," serves as a platform to strengthen consensus and expand international collaboration in higher education and scientific research.

Prior to the opening ceremony, President Wang Yunpeng met with 18 university leaders and international experts from Spain, Brazil, Mexico, the Macao and Hong Kong SARs of China, and other countries and regions. The distinguished guests included: Im Sio Kei, Rector of Macao Polytechnic University; Javier Uceda, former Rector of Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM); Jiang Hui, Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO); João Ramos Torres de Mello Neto, Vice Rector of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; Gwenaëlle Guillerme, Secretary-General of the T.I.M.E. Association; José Manuel Páez, former Vice Rector of Tecnológico de Monterrey and UPM; In Han Song, Vice President of Yonsei University; Jacques Mick, Vice President of Federal University of Santa Catarina; Dong Cheng, Associate Vice President of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Ayub Gitau, Vice Chancellor of the University of Nairobi; Julio Romano Meneghini, Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and Professor at the University of São Paulo; Wang Lihui, Member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and Professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology; Maciej Ogorzalek, Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Professor at Jagiellonian University; Anibal Ollero Baturone, Member of the Royal Academy of Engineering of Spain and Professor at the University of Seville; and Enrico Zio, Professor at the Polytechnic University of Milan and former President of the European Safety and Reliability Association (ESRA).

Wang Yunpeng meets with distinguished guests

Wang Yunpeng expressed his warm welcome and sincere gratitude for their long-standing trust and support. He noted that as Beihang celebrates its 73rd anniversary, the university remains committed to the principles of "Inclusion, Innovation, and Collaboration," which have fostered a conducive environment for achievements in talent development, scientific research, and international cooperation. He hoped that the summit would serve as a platform to build a high-quality, sustainable international cooperation network and innovate models for global educational collaboration.

The opening ceremony on the morning of October 22 was held at the Conference Center of Hangzhou International Campus. It was attended by Wang Yunpeng, along with Zheng Kai, a second-level inspector at the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Yu Yun, a second-level inspector at the Department of Human Resource and Social Security of Zhejiang Province, and Xu Junmin, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Hangzhou Municipal People's Government. The ceremony was presided over by Zhao Weisheng, Vice President of Beihang University.

Opening ceremony of University Partners Summit Hangzhou 2025, Beihang University

In his address, Wang Yunpeng highlighted Beihang's commitment to pragmatic cooperation with global partners. Facing a world of increasing uncertainties and rapid technological revolution, he called for joint efforts to build high-level cooperation platforms, cultivate high-caliber global talent with international perspectives and innovative spirit, promote high-quality scientific research addressing future challenges, and establish efficient governance systems to contribute wisdom to global education, technology, and cultural exchange.

Wang Yunpeng delivers opening address

Zheng Kai congratulated the summit, affirming MIIT's support for Beihang and other universities in deepening practical cooperation with global partners. He urged Beihang to fulfill its mission in serving national development, expand collaborative dimensions, gather global talent, and strengthen cooperative mechanisms.

Zheng Kai delivers a speech

Xu Junmin expressed his warm congratulations on the convening of the summit and extended sincere gratitude to Beihang for its long-standing strong support to Hangzhou's international education exchanges. He stated that Hangzhou is willing to work alongside Beihang and global partners to share development opportunities, deepen practical cooperation, and jointly forge a new paradigm for opening-up in education.

Xu Junmin delivers a speech

Julio Romano Meneghini praised Beihang's global vision and collaborative achievements. He stated that by leveraging platforms such as the jointly established laboratories, both institutions would pool their complementary resources to pursue innovative research in green aviation energy. This collaboration, he noted, would inject fresh momentum into scientific and technological cooperation between China and Brazil in the field of sustainable development.

Julio Romano Meneghini delivers a speech

The summit witnessed the signing of four key agreements, including agreements with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro for a China-Latin America AI Multilingual and Multimodal Model Laboratory, with UPM for a Data Science Joint Research Center, with Macao Polytechnic University for a dual PhD program, and with Complutense University of Madrid for cooperation.

Beihang signs four cooperation agreements with global partners

During the event, Wang Yunpeng and guests jointly inaugurated six joint laboratories, including the Beihang-UPM Joint Research Center for Data Science, the Beihang-University of São Paulo Green Aviation Laboratory, the China-Latin America Joint Laboratory for AI Multilingual and Multimodal Model, the Beihang-University of Nairobi Joint Laboratory for BDS Engineering and Simulation Technology, the Beihang-Macao Polytechnic University Joint Laboratory for Intelligent Systems Engineering, and the Asian Simulation Alliance Internship Base. These entities will serve as physical platforms for resource sharing and collaborative innovation.

Inauguration ceremony of six collaborative laboratories

To bolster its global expertise, an adjunct professor appointment ceremony was also held. Professor Julio Romano Meneghini, Professor Enrico Zio, and Professor Hamilton Varela were appointed as Beihang Advisory Professors. Professor José Manuel Páez was appointed as International Cooperation Special Advisor. Professor João Ramos Torres de Mello Neto and Professor Su Jian of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro were appointed as Special Advisors to the Beihang Brazil Center.

The summit featured keynote speeches from Javier Uceda, Im Sio Kei, Jiang Hui, Gwenaëlle Guillerme, João Ramos Torres de Mello Neto, and Zhao Weisheng, addressing strategic partnership building, innovative higher education collaboration, and the importance of international cooperation for scientific breakthroughs.

Parallel events included country-focused sessions on Spain and Brazil, such as the UPM Day at Beihang University and the 2nd Beihang Brazil Innovation Forum, which facilitated in-depth academic exchanges and partnership building. A total of 18 thematic academic sessions were held, spanning cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence, biomedical engineering, aerospace, and sustainable energy.

Opening ceremony of UPM Day at Beihang University

Wang Yunpeng attended the UPM Day at Beihang University. In his address, he noted that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the China-Spain Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, highlighting the long-standing collaboration between Beihang and UPM and their fruitful achievements. He expressed hopes to leverage the Hangzhou International Campus to further advance cooperation in interdisciplinary studies, fundamental research, and the establishment of joint institutions. Luis Salgado Álvarez de Sotomayor acknowledged the deep friendship and productive outcomes over two decades of exchange. He expressed confidence that the strategic partnership between Beihang and UPM is poised to embrace broader prospects, enabling both institutions to make greater contributions to cultivating top-tier talent and advancing technological progress.

The 2nd Beihang Brazil Innovation Forum gathered over 50 professors from 11 Brazilian institutions. Multiple cooperation agreements were signed, and 10 renowned Brazilian scholars were appointed as adjunct professors. Zhao Weisheng, Chen Yu, Director of the International Exchange and Expert Services Division of the Foreign Experts Services Department under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and Augusto Pestana, Brazilian Consul General in Shanghai, addressed the forum. The forum will continue with parallel sessions in Hangzhou and Beijing until October 31.

Dong Zhuoning, Assistant President and Dean of the Hangzhou International Innovation Institute at Beihang University, signs an agreement with the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul and presents Visiting Professor Certificates to distinguished Brazilian scholars

The summit was held as an official parallel session of the 23rd Conference on International Exchange of Professionals, whose opening ceremony took place at the Shanghai World Expo Center on October 21. During the conference, Beihang signed a talent exchange agreement with the Brazilian Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA). Under this agreement, the two institutions will establish the "China-Brazil Mathematics Laboratory" at Beihang University to advance comprehensive collaboration in talent exchanges, scientific research, and education across multiple fields including pure mathematics, applied mathematics, data science, and artificial intelligence.

The summit marks a significant milestone in Beihang's efforts to deepen global collaboration and exemplifies the openness of Chinese higher education. Leveraging the advantages of its Hangzhou International Campus, Beihang is injecting Chinese wisdom into the global network of scientific and educational cooperation.

Editor: Lyu Xingyun