China-Egypt Science and Technology Cooperation Forum 2020 was Successfully Held

On November 28, China-Egypt Science and Technology Cooperation Forum was held, which is an important public diplomacy activity between China and Egypt. Liu Wei, President of Renmin University of China (RUC) and Mahmoud El Meteini, President of Ain Shams University (ASU) of Egypt delivered opening remarks respectively. The opening ceremony was presided over by Liu Yuanchun, Vice President of RUC. Hua Liming, former Chinese Ambassador to Iran, UAE, and the Netherlands, and Professor Shahira Samir, Head of International Relation Office of ASU delivered keynote speeches respectively, and the session was presided over by Prof. Yan Jinming, Dean of National Academy of Development and Strategy of RUC.

The forum themed with "Innovation & Development, Cooperation & Prosperity" was co-hosted by RUC and ASU, organized by National Academy of Development and Strategy of RUC and the "Belt and Road" Cooperation Research Center of RUC & ASU, and co-organized by National Academy of Belt and Road Green Development (NABRGD), China International Culture Exchange Center (CICEC). More than 20 delegates from RUC, ASU, Zhejiang Normal University, China-African Cultural Friendship Association and Minzu University of China were invited to the event. The offline venues were the Chongde West Tower of RUC and the Auditorium of ASU.

The forum aimed to discuss how China and Egypt could explore new opportunities for bilateral cooperation and cultivation of new impetus of economic growth in key areas such as science and technology and green development in the post-pandemic era. The forum may serve as the opportunity to better develop the Belt and Road Initiative in Egypt and the whole Middle East and African Regions.

RUC President Liu Wei extended his warm welcome to the participating guests and scholars from China and Egypt. He said that China and Egypt, as great ancient civilizations, had started exchanges via the ancient Silk Road thousands of years ago and cultivated great traditional friendship. Contemporarily, Egypt was also the first Arab and African country to establish the diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. After China-Egypt relation ascended to the global comprehensive strategic partnership, Egypt officially joined China's Belt and Road Initiative. Hence China-Egypt cooperation plays an important exemplary and leading role in promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges, science and technology collaboration and China-Africa friendly cooperation. In particular, since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Egypt have closely cooperated on epidemic prevention and control, vaccine research and development, work resumption, etc. to write a new chapter of international solidarity and cooperation for the fight against the pandemic.

Liu Wei said that both RUC and ASU are famous universities with extensive academic and social influence in our respective countries. In July 2018, the two universities signed a memorandum of understanding on inter-university cooperation that officially started exchange and cooperation in a comprehensive manner. Then both universities jointly established the first "Belt and Road" Cooperation Research Center in Middle East and Africa in November 2018, and the former ASU President Abd El-Wahab attended the unveiling ceremony held in RUC in Beijing. In January 2019, the RUC delegation visited Egypt and witnessed the founding ceremony of the research center in ASU. Over the past more than a year, the center relied on the academic strengths of both universities, organized academic exchanges, high-end summits and joint science research fund, and created new situation of mutual benefits and win-win effect in academic collaboration, mutual visits of scholars, publications, etc., which further contributed to China-Egypt coordinated development of economy, culture, science research, etc. and created more opportunities for implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative in Egypt and the whole African continent. Nowadays, the science and technology evolution and industry transitions represented by the new-generation information technologies are progressing rapidly, and universities have become the central role of science and technology innovation of all countries. In the post-pandemic era, RUC and ASU will further share education resources, advance exchanges of science and technology innovation and concentrate on the in-depth cooperation of science research and development incubators, mechanisms and standards between China and Egypt.

ASU President Mahmoud El Meteini said he is honored to attend the forum of "2020 China-Egypt Science and Technology Cooperation Forum: Innovation & Development, Cooperation & Prosperity", and pleased to discuss with RUC in all aspects for all-round cooperation. Egypt and China both have a long history and formed strategic partnership between the two countries 64 years ago. Mentioning the cofounding of "Belt and Road" Cooperation Research Center, he pointed out that the Department of Chinese of Languages School of ASU is the Chinese faculty with the longest history in North Africa, and the graduates serve as the tie of communication between the two countries. He added the discussions with RUC today cover topics of medicine, engineering, science and technology, AI, etc. where Egypt is in urgent need of promoting infrastructure construction in these fields. He looked forward to deeper cooperation and sharing of experience with RUC.

RUC Vice President Liu Yuanchun said that China and Egypt have carried out all-round deep communication and cooperation in many fields. In the post-pandemic era, through extensive discussion on science and technology cooperation and innovation to support green development, the two countries will enhance common understanding and form joint force to contribute wisdom and strength to the world science and technology development and the human civilization progress. He sincerely hoped that all the scholars and experts generously share views and experiences to make the discussions more productive, and both universities seize the opportunity of forum to further deepen cultural exchange and academic cooperation, concentrate on fundamental research of national key development strategy needs, offer more suggestions and proposals to both governments and inject new momentum into the development of China-Egypt relations.

The two universities exchanged souvenirs. President Liu Wei had interaction with the students present on the venue, which was then followed by keynote speeches and sub-forums.

Hua Liming, former Chinese ambassador to Iran, UAE, and the Netherlands, pointed out in his keynote speech that the friendship between China and Egypt has a long history. In 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi decided to uplift China-Egyptian relations to the comprehensive strategic partnership that offered new opportunity of development. So far, under the framework of joint promotion of "Belt and Road", the two countries are strengthening interconnection of development strategies, deepening cooperation on infrastructure construction, advancing cooperation on production capacity and creating a new situation of comprehensive strategic partnership. The bilateral cooperation on investment, production capacity, infrastructure, finance, etc. is progressing steadily, highlighted by the cooperation on digital high-tech in recent years.

Professor Shahira Samir explained in details of ASU's achievements on high-tech research and development and international cooperation, and expressed the willingness to enhance partnership with RUC.

The session of keynote speech was presided over by Yan Jinming.

Sub-forum A focused on the topic of "China-Egypt Science and Technology Cooperation: Incubators, Mechanisms, Standards" with Professor Zhang Xiao, Vice Dean of School of Philosophy, RUC as the moderator. Nine Chinese and Egyptian experts made in-depth presentations on the topic.

Sub-forum B focused on the topic of "China-Egypt in the Post COVID-19 Pandemic Era: Boosting Industrial Cooperation for Green Development" with Professor Shahira Samir as the moderator. Ten Chinese and Egyptian experts made in-depth presentations on the topic.

This session was presided over by Xu Qinhua, Vice Dean of National Academy of Development and Strategy of RUC.

On January 13, 2019 supported and arranged by International Office, RUC, President Liu Wei led a delegation to visit Egypt and held an unveiling ceremony for the first "Belt and Road" Cooperation Research Center jointly founded by the universities of both countries.