A conference commemorating the 40th anniversary of the founding of the China Association of Higher Education (CAHE) was held in Beijing on July 30. Cai Dafeng, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and Chairperson of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, attended the conference and delivered a speech. Education Minister Huai Jinpeng also spoke at the event. Attendees included former State Councilor Chen Zhili as well as former education ministers and senior officials.
Cai congratulated CAHE on its 40th anniversary. He fully affirmed CAHE’s unique role and significant contributions to the modernization of China’s higher education over the last 40 years. He emphasized the role of higher education in transforming China into a global leader in education, science and technology, and talent. As the oldest, largest, and most influential academic association in China, CAHE’s role is to pool knowledge and resources for reforms, exercise academic leadership, and strengthen governance to help China’s higher education system deliver quality education that fosters the well-rounded development of learners.
Huai highly commended CAHE’s contributions. He said higher education represents the growth and potential of a nation. He expressed hope that CAHE would fully carry out its mandate to spearhead China’s transformation into an educational powerhouse. This requires ensuring that academic development aligns with China’s social and economic objectives as well as strengthening internal institutions and governance, and expanding exchange with international partners.
Following the conference, Huai met with participants at the World University Presidents Forum, which was co-hosted by CAHE, Peking University, and Tsinghua University in Beijing on July 30–31. The minister said China hopes to expand educational cooperation with universities around the globe in the interests of youth development and human advancement.
