Hebei University Invited to Attend the 2025 Beijing Forum - Franco-Chinese College Sub-Forum

On November 8, the 2025 Beijing Forum – Franco-Chinese College Sub-Forum, along with the thematic exhibition on the history of Franco-Chinese universities and the Work-Study Movement in France, was held in Beijing. Meng Qingyu, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee and President of Hebei University, was invited to attend the event and delivered a speech at the unveiling ceremony of the exhibition.  

In his address, Meng Qingyu emphasized that the Work-Study Movement in France a century ago not only nurtured a large number of key talents for China’s modernization but also marked the beginning of a new era in cultural and educational exchanges between China and France. He described it as a vivid reflection of the mutual learning and respect between the two civilizations. Reflecting on Hebei University’s century-long ties with the French educational community, Meng Qingyu highlighted the university’s consistent commitment to an open and inclusive approach to education. He noted that Hebei University has engaged in close collaboration with French institutions in areas such as high-level talent cultivation and international research cooperation, achieving significant progress and injecting new vitality into Sino-French academic exchanges. Additionally, he underscored the university’s ongoing efforts, in partnership with Baoding City, to explore the historical significance and spiritual essence of the Work-Study Movement. These initiatives have yielded positive social impact and exemplary effects, revitalizing the contemporary value of the movement.  

During the forum, President Meng Qingyu also engaged in in-depth discussions with educators from both China and France on topics such as cultivating international talents and fostering innovation through industry-education integration. These exchanges further elevated Hebei University’s influence in the realm of Sino-French educational collaboration and laid a solid foundation for broader international exchanges and cooperation in the future.  

The forum was co-hosted by the Yenching Academy of Peking University and the Institut Franco-Chinois, with support from the French Academy of Overseas Sciences, the French Embassy in China, the French Development Agency, the China Education Association for International Exchange, the China Association of Higher Education, the China Non-Government Education Association, and the World Federation of UNESCO Associations. Co-organizers included Hebei University, Hebei Agricultural University, and China Baoxin Group. The event brought together over a hundred government officials, experts, and scholars from the cultural and educational sectors of both countries, including He Guangcai, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Peking University; Ewen Hong, Minister-Counselor for Cultural, Educational, and Scientific Affairs at the French Embassy in China; and Dominique Barlaud, President of the French Academy of Overseas Sciences and Dean of the Institut Franco-Chinois.