Contributed by: Foreign Affairs Office | Edited by: Liu Ye |Photo by: Fu Wenjun | PreliminaryReview: Wei Xinqiang | FinalReview: Liang Lili | Date: April 15, 2024
From April 10 to 12th, the mid-term evaluation and defense meeting for the construction project of international characteristics universities of Henan Province, sponsored by the Education Department of Henan Province and co-organized by North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power and Center for Strategic Studies of Henan's Education Opening up, was held in the First Lecture Hall of our Longzihu Campus. Diao Yuhua, deputy head of the Provincial Department of Education and First-level Inspector, attended and delivered a speech. The meeting was chaired by Wang Huaxing, Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Department of Henan Department of Education.
Diao Yuhua pointed out at the opening ceremony of the defense meeting that carrying out the construction project of international characteristics universities is a concrete action of Henan province to implement the "Opinions of the Ministry of Education and eight other departments on Accelerating and Expanding the Opening up of Education in the New Era" and Special Plan for Education Opening up and Development in Henan Province during the 14th Five Year Plan. It is also Henan's practice that answers the question of "Why is an educationally powerful province opening up to the outside world?" and is an important support for building a high-quality higher education system. It is required that all constructing universities showcase their talents, exchange and learn from each other, and strive for excellence and uniqueness. Non-constructing universities should benchmark and learn from tables to look for the shortage, draw on experience, and improve their level. The education foreign affairs units of Henan province should work together, explore and innovate to promote the opening up of Henan education to the outside world in the new era, empowering the development of new quality productive forces, dedicating the strength of opening up to an educationally powerful province, and adding an "Exclamation Mark" to Henan's more colorful development.
Principal Liu Junguo delivered a defense report on behalf of our university. He stated that the party committee and administration of the university have attached great importance to international education, and have taken the lead in formulating and issuing the "Implementation Plan for International characteristics constructing universities of North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power in Henan Province" throughout the province, promoting education internationalization in our university to achieve "comprehensive and excellent", "excellent and unique", and "unique and refined". Since being approved as the Constructing University with International Characteristics of Henan Province, the university has led high-quality open education with high-level party building, continuously improved the foreign affairs work system and mechanism, increased international cooperation and exchange platforms, achieved remarkable achievements in international scientific research cooperation, introduced diverse and innovative international teaching resources, actively deepened international exchanges and interactions between teachers and students, and created distinctive brands such as "BRICS", "Chinese+Water Resources", and "Study Abroad at North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power". The university will include "opening up a new track of international development" as one of the ten key tasks in 2024, and regard international exchange and cooperation as an important part of the creation of "Double First-Class". It has issued the "Implementation Plan for Comprehensively Deepening International Exchange and Cooperation of North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power", implementing a "Five Wheel Drive" of subject intelligence introduction, scientific research cooperation, overseas visits, student joint education, and cultural exchanges. The mid-term evaluation will be regarded as an important opportunity to adjust the pace of progress and make efforts to achieve goals, and will promote the construction of Henan Province's international characteristics universities.
Wang Huaxing pointed out in her summary speech that after a tense and efficient defense meeting, various international characteristics university construction units have comprehensively demonstrated the mid-term construction results. After the meeting, the evaluation scores and expert suggestions will be given to each construction unit. She has put forward requirements for the opening up of education to the outside world and the construction of international characteristics universities in the coming period. Firstly, we must continue to implement the special plan for the development of education opening up to the outside world in Henan province during the 14th Five Year Plan period, and fully carry out the "Three Projects" and "Five Plans". Secondly, we must continue to build international characteristics universities, further optimize constructing plans, implement constructing measures and guarantee conditions, condense international characteristics, smoothly pass the final evaluation and acceptance, and demonstrate and lead the development of education opening up work in the province. Thirdly, We must continue to prevent and resolve risks concerning foreign affairs, strengthen bottom-line thinking, enhance emergency response capabilities, and ensure security and stability in the field of educational foreign affairs.
Twenty-five international characteristics of constructing universities in the province showcased and defended their mid-term construction achievements. The conference invited renowned experts in the field of internationalization construction from universities outside the province for on-site evaluation and exchange. Some non-constructing university leaders in Henan province participated as observers and scored. Twenty-five constructing units evaluated each other, comprehensively testing the mid-term construction results of each university. More than 170 people from 97 universities in the province attended and observed.
It is reported that the Education Department of Henan Province launched the construction project of Henan Province's international characteristics universities in December 2021, adopting the method of "Construction First, Evaluation Later", and determining 25 constructing units, including 18 undergraduate universities and 7 vocational colleges. After mid-term evaluation, inspection and acceptance, it is planned to build 15 international characteristics constructing universities with a comprehensive ranking of leading in international cooperation and exchange within the province, some indicators reaching the domestic advanced level, and playing a demonstrative and leading role among the universities in Henan province by 2025.
