Leaders of Universities at home and abroad participate in the academic forum online. [Photo provided by Yunnan University]

The Innovative Talent Cultivation Forum of South and Southeast Asian University Network (S&SE Asian UN), hosted by the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Yunnan Provincial People's Government and undertaken by Yunnan University, was held at Yunnan University on Sept 6. The forum is a special event of the sixth Yunnan International Talent Exchange Conference and is composed of an academic forum and an online talent signing event. Experts and scholars from the New Engineering Education Sub-committee, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Sub-committee, and News and Communication Sub-committee participated in the academic forum, and talents to be signed on by various colleges participated in the online signing activity.

Leaders of Yunnan University participate in the event offline. [Photo provided by Yunnan University]

At the opening ceremony, Zhang Daliang, former director of the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education and vice president of the China Higher Education Society, and Hu Jinming, vice president of Yunnan University, delivered speeches. They pointed out that the event focused on Yunnan province's development of a new talent hub in South and Southeast Asia and a regional talent center, supporting the construction of an international talent exchange and cooperation platform, and promoting higher education cooperation and exchanges between domestic and foreign partner universities in talent training, scientific research, and social services.

Zhang Daliang gives a video speech at the event. [Photo provided by Yunnan University]

In the academic forum, 16 scholars from China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and other countries conducted discussions on the training direction and path for news and communication talent, innovative and entrepreneurial talent, and new engineering talent, and shared their universities' experience in talent training.

Experts and scholars at home and abroad believe that digital transformation has brought profound changes to the media industry and the cultivation of international media talent is facing new opportunities and challenges. Colleges and universities should cooperate with enterprises to provide students with opportunities for scholarships and internships and expand their investments in the media industry, strengthen the connection between experts and scholars, and provide more international courses and exchange opportunities for teachers and students. In terms of training new engineering talent, participating experts believe that professional talent should have six kinds of abilities, namely active learning and lifelong learning abilities, cross-cultural communication abilities, teamwork and leadership, innovation abilities, ability to discover and solve problems, and interdisciplinary learning abilities. Cultivating international new engineering talent is not possible without teachers with overseas study experience. Colleges and universities should provide students with opportunities to study abroad and study with foreign students. Based on the new needs of social development, they should constantly optimize the talent training model and promote international cooperation in education. In terms of innovation and entrepreneurship education, participating scholars pointed out that colleges and universities in South and Southeast Asian countries should integrate the characteristics and expertise of all parties, jointly promote the reform and practice of innovation and entrepreneurship education, carry out cooperation and exchanges in personnel training and project incubation, and jointly promote regional economic and social development.

Talents at home and abroad sign the agreement during the online signing activity. [Photo provided by Yunnan University]

During the online talent signing activity, Yang Ruowen, deputy director of the Personnel Office of Yunnan University, Zhang Zhiming, deputy dean of the School of Ecology and the Environment of the university, and Wu Qi, deputy dean of the School of Ethnology and Sociology of the university, respectively introduced the relevant talent policies of the university and its colleges in detail, expressed their desire for outstanding talent from home and abroad, and showed the responsibilities and achievements of the university in talent introduction and training. Subsequently, the talent to be signed, including Zhang Shoudong, research assistant professor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hans J. De Boeck, senior researcher of the University of Antwerp in Belgium, and John Measey, professor of the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa, gave keynote speeches, respectively. They pointed out that Yunnan University provides comprehensive work and living guarantees for outstanding talent, so that scholars can devote themselves to scientific research and academic research, and they are enthusiastic about joining Yunnan University. A total of 35 outstanding talents at home and abroad participated in the signing, providing strong intellectual support for Yunnan University's talent introduction and international scientific research cooperation, and made great contributions to the development of Yunnan University's talent hub in South and Southeast Asia.