During the 2nd Sino-French Education Development Forum held recently at Sichuan University, Beihang University and the Groupe des Écoles Centrales signed a renewed dual-degree cooperation agreement, marking a new chapter in their long-standing academic partnership.

The forum, co-hosted by China's Ministry of Education and France's Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, focused on educational collaboration and the cultivation of innovative talent. Chinese Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng and French Minister Philippe Baptiste delivered keynote speeches at the event.

The Beihang University-Groupe des Écoles Centrales agreement was highlighted as one of 11 key collaborative achievements presented during the forum. Under the renewed framework, the partnership will facilitate an annual exchange of 30 French students to China, where they will pursue dual-degree programs leading to a Chinese master's degree. By integrating high-quality educational resources from China and France, this initiative aims to establish a cross-cultural joint training system that bridges Eastern and Western academic traditions. It will provide students with a bicultural learning environment and broader development opportunities, enabling regularized dual-degree exchanges with leading French institutions.

Following the forum, Gilles Fleury, General Delegate of the Groupe des Écoles Centrales, and Dong Zhuoning, Assistant President of Beihang University and Dean of its Hangzhou International Innovation Institute, gave interviews to China Media Group and China Education Television, sharing their perspectives on the future of Sino-French educational cooperation.

In CCTV's coverage, Beihang students engaged in carbon neutrality research were prominently featured, sharing insights into their interdisciplinary studies and international collaborative work. Their research spans areas including AI-enabled green energy and smart healthcare integrated with carbon neutrality, embodying the practical outcomes of industry-education and science-education integration within Sino-French cooperation.

As a key collaborative platform between Beihang University and the Groupe des Écoles Centrales, the Carbon Neutrality Joint Research Center leverages the engineering education resources of Beihang's Hangzhou International Campus. By integrating Chinese-style engineering training laboratories with French-style industrial science facilities, the center has established a comprehensive research and education ecosystem. It has evolved from a signed agreement into a fully operational research and education hub, exemplifying the shift from principled agreement to practical implementation.

By merging high-quality educational resources from both countries, Beihang and the Groupe des Écoles Centrales are constructing a cohesive, bidirectional training system that offers students dual-cultural exposure and enhanced academic opportunities. Moving forward, Beihang University will continue to deepen cooperation with French partners, expanding educational collaboration into broader and deeper dimensions, further contributing to Sino-French cultural exchange and the building of a shared future for mankind.

Editor: Lyu Xingyun