The Fourth Forum for Presidents of Normal Universities in the Greater China Region was held at East China Normal Universities on October 12, 2015. Presidents of 18 different normal universities from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan signed the “Shanghai Cooperation Vision,” and had in-depth conversations and debated on the theme of the “Mission of Normal Universities —— New Momentum for the Development of Teachers and Education.”
Cen Jianjun, Director of the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office of the Ministry of Education, and Yu Lijuan, Vice President of Shanghai Overseas Friendship Association, attended the forum and gave speeches. Tong Shijun, Chairman of the ECNU University Council, gave a welcome speech to all the participants. The forum were hosted by Ren Youqun, Vice Chairman of ECNU University Council and Vice Pesident of ECNU, along with Guo Weilu, Vice President of the ECNU.
Yu Lijuan
Tong Shijun
Cen Jianjun
Since its launch in 2012, the Forum for Presidents of Normal Universities in the Greater China Region had been held for the past three years as a fruitful union formation, academic communication, course sharing, and student exchange. Teachers’ education is a subject of common concern for all normal universities in the Greater China region. Before the opening ceremony, 18 presidents of normal universities signed the “Shanghai Cooperation Vision” to create a new cooperation mode and to bring out the best of each university, so as to realize new win-win developments of all the universities.
“Shanghai Cooperation Mission” addresses three issues: first, the future teachers’ education. “Shanghai Cooperation Mission” promises to build an exchange mechanism in the region, facilitate the cooperation in teachers’ training programs, improving the education environment for future teachers, and increase cooperation of research between teachers’ education. Second, on the aspect of teachers’ future development, “Shanghai Cooperation Mission” promises to establish an administrators’ association for teachers education, and to enlarge channels for the teachers in the region to communicate, push ahead the establishment and sharing of on-the-job training courses for teachers, so as to increase the growth of potential teachers. Lastly, “Shanghai Cooperation Mission” promises to increase opening and cooperation, launch student tour programs, and further increase student exchanges and mutual acknowledgement of credits between universities.
Xu Tao (R) and Chen Qun (L) unveil the the College of Teachers Education of ECNU.
Apart from signing the “Shanghai Cooperation Vision,” ECNU also actively explored in other areas for teachers’ education. The latest move was the establishment of the College of Teachers Education. During the opening ceremony of the forum, Xu Tao, Director of the Teachers’ Work Department of the Ministry of Education, unveiled the College of Teachers Education of ECNU with ECNU President Chen Qun, and made a report on “Exploring New Direction of the Teachers’ Education, Find New Momentum for Teachers’ Education.”
Then, surrounding the theme of the forum, 18 university presidents and education experts held conversations and debates on challenges facing teachers’ education, as well as other aspects —— ideals, research and practices of the area.At the closing ceremony, Prof. Chen Qun, on behalf of ECNU, again thanked the Ministry of Education, Shanghai Overseas Friendship Association, university presidents and education experts who participated the forum, and that all the staff and students who contributed to the success of the forum. He pointed out that this forum gave new inspiration for teachers’ education in the Greater China Region, expressing the hope that normal universities in the region would have more exchange and cooperation between one another.
