From December 1 to 4, President Yang Zongkai visited Spain with the delegation organized by the Ministry of Education. This visit was aimed at implementing the agreements between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, which emphasize the importance of strengthening cultural and educational exchanges in areas such as language teaching, youth programs, and tourism. These efforts are expected to solidify the foundation for sustainable and stable China-Spain relations through high-level academic collaboration.

During the visit, the China-Europe University Presidents’ Forum convened at the Technical University of Madrid. Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng delivered the keynote speech. President Yang participated in a roundtable discussion, sharing insights on “China-Europe Collaboration in Engineering Talent Development”. The forum gathered representatives from 25 universities across seven countries to explore opportunities for enhancing collaboration in areas such as joint education programs, research innovation, and industry-academia partnerships.

President Yang engages in a cordial discussion with Félix Zamora, Vice President of the Autonomous University of Madrid, during the forum.(1)

As part of the preparations, Wuhan University of Technology (WUT) extended invitations to four European institutions: the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Brunel University London, Aix-Marseille University, and the École d’Ingénieurs en Informatique et Électronique (EISTI) ----on behalf of the Ministry of Education. Minister Huai met with representatives from these institutions and received a commemorative book presented by Professor Elwyn Evans, President of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

Minister Huai Jinpeng meets with university representatives and delegates from European partner institutions.(2)

Minister Huai Jinpeng holds a cordial exchange with Professor Elwyn Evans, President of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.(3)

In addition to the dialogue, President Yang attended the launch ceremony of the Spain chapter of the “YES Project,” an initiative fostering education exchange. The event, graced by a speech from Minister Huai, was attended by over 100 participants, including representatives from educational institutions and Spanish students.

President Yang also visited the Technical University of Madrid, where he held discussions with faculty and researchers from various departments and research centers, deepening academic ties and promoting collaboration.

President Yang visits the Technical University of Madrid and engages in discussions.(4)

Ahead of the forum, Vice President Luo Rong led a delegation to Paris to visit EISTI. The delegation focused on coordinating the university’s participation in the dialogue, advancing the establishment of an alliance of engineering universities, and preparing for the joint application of cooperative academic programs. The delegation also met with Zhou Jiagui, Education Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in France, to coordinate the participation of French universities and plan the upcoming “2025 World Digital Educational Conference” scheduled for May.

During the visit to Spain, Vice President Luo Rong also held discussions with Professor Elwyn Evans, President of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and Professor Zhao Hua, Vice President of Brunel University London, on topics such as the engineering university alliance and cooperation initiatives.(5)

Written by: Cao Jianshu

Rewritten by: Lu Yu

Edited by: Liang Muwei, Li Tiantian

Source: International Office of WUT