Next year (2024) marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, and the 38th anniversary of the establishment of sister city relations between Shanghai and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region where Lyon is located.
On November 30th, the unveiling ceremony of the ECNU Lyon Office was held in France. The ECNU Lyon Office is situated on the former site of the Institut Franco-Chinois, the century-old witness of Sino-French exchanges, in the Fourvière.
Mei Bing, Chair of the University Coucil, and Thierry de la Tour d'Artaise, President of the Nouvel Institut Franco-Chinois, Lyon-China Relations Promotion Center, and Chairman of Groupe SEB, jointly unveiled the overseas office. Lu Shaye, Chinese Ambassador to France, Lu Qingjiang, Consul General of China in Lyon, Helene Dromain, Vice President of Metropolitan Lyon who is in charge of international relations, and Mireille Bossy, Vice President of the University of Lyon who is in charge of foreign affairs, attended and witnessed the ceremony.
In his speech, Thierry de la Tour d'Artaise expressed his gratitude to ECNU for the continued strong support to the New Sino-French Institute of Lyon since its establishment. The renewal of the agreement between the two parties and the establishment of the ECNU Lyon Office will further promote exchanges and cooperation between China and France. He mentioned that they would take the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between China and France as an opportunity to devise a series of celebration activities with ECNU.
Gate of the former site of the Institut Franco-Chinois
The former site of the Institut Franco-Chinois (former auditorium). The first floor is now the History Museum of the Institut Franco-Chinois and the second floor is the office of the Nouvel Institut Franco-Chinois and the Lyon-China Relations Promotion Center
“The establishment of the ECNU Lyon Office on the former site of the Institut Franco-Chinois, created a century ago, represents a practical action for us to commemorate and inherit the spirit of Sino-French friendship, and demonstrates the great importance that Chinese universities attach to Sino-French cooperation and openness to the outside world.” Mei Bing said that ECNU would contribute to building a more mature and stable Sino-France relationship and play a positive role in building a community with a shared future for mankind.
The ECNU Lyon Office will serve as an office and academic activity venue for teachers and students who come to Lyon for exchanges and will also serve the recruitment, employment, high-end training, and corporate visits of international students from the Asia Europe Business School of ECNU. Moreover, ECNU will also send staff to the Lyon Office to assist in the advancement of international cooperation programs in Lyon to enhance the connections between ECNU and related universities, institutions, and enterprises in Lyon and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, laying the foundation for more forms of exchanges and cooperation in the future.
Currently, ECNU has signed cooperation agreements with 28 universities and institutions in France, encompassing a variety of types of French higher education, such as comprehensive universities, École normale supérieure, grand ecole business schools, and advanced research institutions. These collaborations have resulted in the establishment of joint training programs for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, exchange programs for students, short-term visits, international joint laboratories, and Sino-foreign cooperative education. At the same time, ECNU has become an important destination for French students coming to China for studies, hosting nearly 700 French students annually for both short and long-term academic pursuits.
Source: International Cooperation & Exchange Division
Copy editor:Philip Nash
Editor: Wicky Xu
