The 3rd Korea-China University Presidents Forum will be held and organized by Yeungnam University in June of 2011. Presidents from 40 universities will be participating from both countries. The presidents will discuss the roles, innovation, and changes of the universities with respect to the beginning of the era of Asia.
"Whereas the 20th century was the one of the Atlantic, Europe and the West, the 21st century will be the era of the Pacific, Asia and the East. Simple waiting will not lead Asia to reach the center of the world. Specially, it is obvious that the 21st century will be an intelligence-based society. Universities should have the initiative of leading the era of Asia.”
In order to participate in the 3rd Korea-China University Presidents Forum, the 40 top- tier university presidents from the both countries will convene at Yeungnam University in June of 2011.
President Hyo Soo Lee of Yeungnam University gives a keynote speech at the 2nd China-Korea University Presidents Forum at Jilin University, China
The main theme of the 3rd forum is "Roles, Innovation and Change of the Universities in China and Korea for the Beginning of the Era of Asia". In the keynote speech of the 2nd China-Korea Presidents Forum held at Jilin University, Changchun, China in June of 2010, Dr. Hyo Soo Lee, President of Yeungnam University, emphasized the necessity of multilateral interchanges and cooperation among universities in China and Korea beyond traditional bilateral ones. He also delivered the message that an increase of economic aspects does not mean stepping forward to the center of the world in the intelligence-based society of the 21st century.
In order to make things happen, 20 universities from the 985 Project of China are supposed to join the forum and meet with the top-tier 20 Korean universities. The purpose of the project is to promote the Chinese higher education system under the call of President Jiang Zemin in May of 1998. Therefore, it is anticipated that this forum will be a cornerstone of the international, intercontinental era beyond the typical, stereotyped collaboration of the universities in China and Korea.
President Lee also states that, “The era of Asia will finally be coming to us once the things in Science, Literature and Ideology are all set up”, and “when a tremendous wave of ‘the Big West and the small East’ occupied, the East did nothing at all in the late 19th century, but the Asia will be playing a pivotal role by having the initiative of innovation and changes in the 21st century. The 3rd forum at Yeungnam University will be a momentous occasion, proclaiming the commencement of the era of Asia by the people of Asia and for the people of Asia.”
Dr. Hyo Soo Lee, President of Yeungnam University, Korea meets with Dr. Hao Ping, Vice Minister of Education, Ministry of Education, China at the 2nd China-Korea University Presidents Forum at Jilin University, China
The Korea-China University Presidents Forum was first commenced for the commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the establishment of Korea-China diplomatic ties, and co-hosted by the Chinese Ministry of Education and the Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. It sought to enhance cooperation and exchange between both countries in the higher education sector. The 1st and 2nd forum was held at Korea University, Korea in 2007 and Jilin University, China in 2010, respectively. In the 2nd forum, the 19 Korean universities including Yeungnam University, Korea University, POSTEC, Yonsei University, Sogang University, Chung-ang University, Hanyang University, Pusan National University, and others; and 22 universities from China such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, Nankai University, Dalian University of Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, and Xiamen University came together to discuss student exchanges and academic collaboration.
In the 2nd forum at Jilin University, Changchun, China from June 9 to June 11, 2010, President Lee of Yeungnam University presented the keynote speech entitled ‘The Chance and Challenge Chinese and Korean Universities Faced during the Internationalization of Higher Education’. Specially, President Lee mentioned that roles and functions of universities confront in a global market and intelligence-based society in the 21st century, which cannot be compared with those in the 20th century, have been tremendously enlarged. He also emphasized that the regular convention of the forum should be conducted by the representatives of the higher education institutions in the two countries, and that multilateral collaboration in joint research and globalization education with respect to oriental ideology, Asian culture and Asian values should be worked out by the universities. He also suggested that the following strategies should be concrete ways of realizing the issues:
- Regular meetings and membership of the forum
- Selection and presentation of Global, Asian Issues (GAI) and Asian agenda
- Conducting a GAI conference for faculty members and students
- Conducting dual degree program and joint curriculum and on-line lectures on the Oriental Ideology by establishing a Vision University (cyber university) for educating the globalized Asian human resources
Participating university presidents developed a bond of consent on his speech and all agreed to host the 3rd forum at Yeungnam University. In addition, it was suggested to President Lee that Yeungnam University and the top-tier universities in China such as Tsinghua University, Jilin University establish a cooperative academic collaboration.
