Peking University's 2019 Highlights in Internationalism

A new year is around the corner. Let's take a look at some of our major achievements in moving towards a more internationalized campus in 2019:

 1  

PKU Rolls Out New International Strategy

In May, Peking University launched the Global Excellence Strategy to broaden the university's global presence moving forward. This strategy aims to respond to the needs of a changing world and shifting economy, bringing together global resources to meet these challenges while maintaining its Chinese characteristics. Global Excellence is about promoting CLOUDS – Creativity, Leadership, Openness, Uniqueness, Diversity, and Shaping. Shaping is our new mission, to use our knowledge and influence to shape international development, and improve collaboration.

 2  

World Leaders Visit PKU

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger met with PKU students

Peking University was honored to host several prestigious guests from around the world this year. Some of them include: Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of Cambodia; Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Frances H. Arnold; Nobel Laureate in Economy Christopher Pissarides; Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who played a crucial role in normalizing Sino-US relations at a very tense point in history.

Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany met with PKU President Hao Ping

 3  

Chinese and French Presidents Witness Signing of MoU Between PKU and French Institutions

During French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to China earlier this year, he and President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the CIIE and witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding promoting cooperation between Peking University and French institutions on various academic projects, including the construction of laser-driven multi-beam facilities. This collaboration will help create stronger connections between Peking University and world-class scientific institutions in France.

 4  

PKU President Strengthens Partnerships with Russian Universities

PKU President Hao Ping attended the annual session of the China-Russia Committee on Humanities Cooperation in September during a visit to Saint Petersburg. Witnessed by Chinese Vice Premiere Sun Chunlan and her Russian counterpart Tatyana Golikova, President Hao and the president of Moscow State University Victor Antonovich Sadovnichy signed an agreement to strengthen partnerships between universities from both sides and to further boost people-to-people exchanges and cooperation. A total of 22 university presidents from both countries attended the session.

 5  

Beijing Forum 2019

We are proud to say that, thanks to the support of our partners from the Ministry of Education, Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, and the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, this year's Beijing Forum was another rousing success. Our theme for this year was The Changing World and the Future of Humankind. This event attracted over 500 scholars, experts, and officials to discuss global issues and work towards a brighter future.

 6  

International Culture Festival 2019

Every year, Peking University holds an International Culture Festival to celebrate the wonderful diversity we have here on campus. We've continued this tradition for sixteen years now, and this year's ICF was better than ever thanks to the selfless work of our international and domestic student volunteers and our partners at Geeklab. In addition to the classics, the ICF this year offered a spectacular art show blending light and shadows, and countless events hosted by Geeklab which gave students the chance to experience the technologies and concepts of the future first-hand.

 7  

PKU Scientists Win International Recognition

PKU's Deng Hongkui Selected for Nature's 10 of the Year

This year, several scholars from Peking University were recognized by institutions around the world for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields. These scholars include: Deng Hongkui, who was recently chosen as one of this year's Nature's 10 for his researching using CRISPR-Cas9; Fang Jingyun, who received the Whittaker Distinguished Ecologist award from the Ecological Society of America; He Xiantu, who won the Edward Teller Award from the American Nuclear Society; Zong Qiugang, who was given the Hannes Alfvén Prize by the European Physical Society; Yan Xueqing, who won the Hogil Kim Prize at the IPAC 2019's Accelerator Awards; and Liu Ying, who was selected as one of the World Economic Forum's Young Scientists for the year.

Liu Ying, selected as one of the World Economic Forum's Young Scientists for the year

Yan Xueqing, who won the Hogil Kim Prize at the IPAC 2019's Accelerator Awards

Fang Jingyun, who received the Whittaker Distinguished Ecologist award

 8  

Great Learning Series Launched as a Global-Facing Speech Platform

In 2019, Peking University launched the Great Learning Series, a brand-new platform through which we invite distinguished scholars from around the world to come to Peking University and share their knowledge with the world. Thus far, the Great Learning Series has recorded lectures from many renowned experts, including Harvard University President Lawrence S. Bacow; the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge Professor Stephen J. Toope; Charles Lieber, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University; and Professor Hanoch Gutfreund, academic head of the Albert Einstein Archives. We hope to invite many more international scholars to come and share their wisdom in 2020!

 9  

Announcement of Three Major Belt and Road Initiative Projects

At the beginning of 2019, Peking University announced the launch of three projects focused on supporting the Belt and Road Initiative and promoting good multilateral relations with the countries involved in this initiative. The first of these projects is aimed at promoting historical and cultural research in countries along the Maritime Silk Road. The second supports archaeological and anthropological work in countries along the historical Silk Road, and the last project is an international undergraduate double-degree program that invites scholars from top-tier universities around the world to study at the Guanghua School of Management's Belt and Road Institute, where they are trained in cross-culture, interdisciplinary studies to become leaders off the future.

 10  

PKU Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Macao's Return

This year marked the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to China. Peking University organized a symposium on the return of Macao, inviting experts to discuss the impact of Macao's return to the mainland, and Macao's development over the past 20 years. PKU also played an active role in promoting communication between youth from the mainland and Macao, organizing events to celebrate this grand occasion. One of these events used the power of 5G technology to allow students in Beijing and Macao to sing together in perfect harmony.

Time marches ever on, one year ends and a new one begins, a year blessed with one more beautiful sunrise to look forward to. Peking University will continue to promote and develop education in 2020, for education is the foundation of a strong and prosperous future for all.

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Peking University's 2019 Highlights in Internationalism

Writer: Trevor

Editors: Amanda Hu, Zhang Jiang

Photos: Wang Wenquan, PKU Office of Global Communications

Designer: Pu Hairui