The Forum on Digital Economy, Industrial Transformation and Engineering Education was held at Lycée Louis le Grand in Paris, France on the morning of June 21.
The event, co-sponsored by Beihang University and Groupe des Écoles Centrales, is to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-French Engineer School and the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.
Among the attendees were Huai Jinpeng, Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Chen Jie, Vice Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Yunpeng, President of Beihang University, Zheng Qinghua, President of Tongji University, Hu Jun, President of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Jiang Fan, Vice Chairperson of University Council of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), Romain Soubeyran, President of the Groupe des Écoles Centrales, Albert Fert, Professor of the Université Paris-Saclay and winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics and the 2017 Chinese Government Friendship Award, Laurent Lafforgue, researcher at the Lagrange Mathematics & Computing Research Center and winner of the Fields Medal in 2002, Gerard Creuzet, Co-Chair of the Beihang-Europe Cooperation Committee (BECC) and Academician of the National Academy of Technologies of France (NATF), Mourad Boukhalfa, President of INSA Group, Jean-Pierre Chevalier, Professor of the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM) and Fellow of the French Academy of Sciences, Arnaud Marfurt, President of ESTACA, Vincent Croquette, President of ESPCI Paris, and Alexandre Caminada, President of Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis (UNSA).
Huai Jinpeng addressed the opening ceremony of the forum. He said that to meet the challenges of digital economy and industrial transformation, the modern engineering education should take into consideration the all-round development of the individual, strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation, and provide for the world scientific solutions to climate change, environment, energy, health and other issues. He hoped the two sides will better implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state by carrying out educational cooperation and scientific and technological exchanges between China and France, making greater contributions to talent cultivation, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
Minister of Education Hui Jinpeng delivering a speech at the forum
In his speech, Wang Yunpeng noted that the forum, which was convened on this special occasion, is of milestone significance. In recent years, Beihang has been cooperating closely with many higher education institutions in France, and the cooperative relations between the two sides has fostered common development and will continue to show strong vitality. He expected that through this cross-border and interdisciplinary forum, the innovation of Sino-French engineering education model will be promoted, and Sino-French solutions will be proposed for the development of world higher education and future industrial transformations.
Beihang President Wang Yunpeng delivering a speech at the forum
Albert Fert said that France and China enjoy a solid and long-term friendship and have achieved fruitful achievements in talent cultivation and scientific research cooperation. Looking to the future, he hoped that French and Chinese universities can focus on cooperation between basic physics and technology development based on interdisciplinary visions, continue to make efforts in addressing global engineering challenges, and deepen interdisciplinary practical cooperation in multiple fields, jointly contributing to optimizing the global engineering talent ecology and promoting the sustainable development of the world.
Nobel Prize winner Albert FERT addressing the forum
In the keynote report session, seven Chinese and French scholars in the field of education, including Fields Medalist Laurent Lafforgue, Tongji University President Zheng Qinghua, President of INSA Group Mourad Boukhalfa, Academician Jean-Pierre Chevalier, UESTC President Hu Jun, ESTACA President Arnaud Marfurt, and SJTU Vice Chairperson of University Council Jiang Fan, delivered presentations respectively, exploring the industrial development trends under the influence of digital economy from different perspectives and seeking solutions for the sustainable development of China, France and the world.
Fields Medalist Laurent Lafforgue giving a keynote speech
Zheng Qinghua, President of Tongji University, delivering a keynote speech
Mourad Boukhalfa, President of INSA Group, delivering a keynote speech
Jean-Pierre Chevalier, Fellow of the French Academy of Sciences, delivering a keynote speech
Hu Jun, President of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), delivering a keynote speech
Arnaud Marfurt, President of ESTACA, delivering a keynote speech
Jiang Fan, Vice Chairperson of University Council of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), delivering a keynote speech
During the forum, witnessed by Huai Jinpeng and Albert Fert, nine universities from China and France signed agreements on international exchanges and cooperation. Among them, Beihang signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Groupe des Écoles Centrales to establish a carbon neutrality research center; Tongji University signed a Memorandum of Understanding with École de Chaillot; Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Université Paris-Cité, and Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 signed an agreement to expand student exchanges; The University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and Ecole supérieure d'ingénieurs en génie électrique signed an agreement for a Master's degree program in software engineering and digital transformation.
Nine universities signing agreements on international exchanges and cooperation
At the roundtable dialogue session, Patrick Soyer, head of Airbus Global University Relations, Vincent Croquette, President of ESPCI Paris, Alexandre Caminada, President of UNSA, Nicolas Cazalis, Vice President of ENAC, Su Haijia, Vice President of Beijing University of Chemical Technology, and Abraham Louis Fingerhut, Professor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, held discussions around the theme of the conference. The dialogue was moderated by Gerard Creuzet.
The roundtable dialogue
Focusing on topics such as digital economy, industrial transformation and engineering education, the forum gathered many Chinese and French experts and scholars in various fields to have in-depth discussions and exchanges and share insights, providing wisdom for deepening the integrated development of the academia and the industry of the two countries and promoting the development of world higher education and future industrial transformations.
Written by: Chen Wei, Fan Hang
Reviewed by: Weng Jingnong
Edited by: Jia Aiping
Translated by: Lyu Xingyun
