President Yu Lizhong was awarded a honorary doctoral degree by ENS LSH (Lyon) on December 3rd for his outstanding academic achievement and contribution for promoting the international cooperation between the ENS Group and ECNU. President Yu expressed heart-felt thanks to them, pointing out that it is not only his personal contribution, but also an honor of East China Normal University. He said that it is an award for ECNU’s endeavor towards the internationalization of education. He wished that both parties, ECNU and ENS Group, would further their cooperation, building a model for the cooperation of higher education in and abroad.
At ENS Lyon, President Yu also had friendly talks with President Samaru of ENS Lyon (Science) and President Faron of ENS LSH (Lyon), discussing how to speed up the construction of co-research institute. He also headed a delegation to visit French Educational Science Research Institute, meeting its director Philippe Wisler and other persons present. We hoped that we could sign some agreements to set up a higher goal of cooperation.
It is reported that before President Yu received the degree, he visited University of Geneva in Switzerland on December 2nd. He had a meeting with President Jean-Dominique Vassalli of University of Geneva. Both parties looked back the cooperation in the past, and looked forward to further cooperation. President Yu invited President Vassalli to visit ECNU and to watch the World Expo held at Shanghai in 2010. President Vassalli accepted the invitation pleasantly.
After his visit in Europe, President Yu attended a seminar on Higher Education in Globalization hosted by New York University (Abu Dhabi Campus) in The United Arab Emirates from December 6th to 7th. He made a brilliant keynote speech titled “Opportunities and Challenges for the Higher Education Development in China－ in the Process towards the Mass Higher Education”. During the conference, President Yu and vice President Ren Youqun met President John sexton of New York University and its chief director of Teaching Affairs David McLaughlin. Both parties exchanged views on strengthening cooperation, and had some discussion on setting up Shanghai Campus of New York University.
