On October 29, 2025, Professor Li Jin, Vice President of the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), attended the 26th China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education (CACIE 2025) and delivered a speech at the Australia-China University Leaders Dialogue, engaging in discussions on global sustainable development and enhanced educational collaboration between the two countries.

The conference opened in Beijing with an address by Jinpeng Huai, Minister of Education. In his speech, he emphasized China's historic achievements in education, highlighting its strategic priority in national development. He noted significant progress in making education more inclusive of high quality, advancing digital transformation and steadily deepening the opening-up of education. To address evolving global trends, he proposed three key initiatives: promoting equity and inclusiveness to build a more sustainable world through education, pursuing innovation-driven development to create a more dynamic world, and strengthening cooperation and mutual learning to foster a more inclusive world through educational exchanges.

Dr. Shane Reti, New Zealand Minister for Universities and Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, attended as the representative of the Country of Honor. He reaffirmed that education remains a cornerstone of New Zealand-China relations and expressed honor that New Zealand serves as the Country of Honor for the CACIE 2025. He emphasized that his visit builds upon the positive momentum from New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's visit to China in June, creating valuable opportunities to expand bilateral educational cooperation further.

The keynote session, presided over by Dr. Limin Liu, President of the Chinese Education Association for International Exchange, featured leaders and experts including Professor Tieniu Tan, Chair of the University Council of Nanjing University, Professor Damon Salesa, Vice-Chancellor of Auckland University of Technology, Dr. Gergely Pálmai, Deputy State Secretary for Vocational Education, Ministry of Culture and Innovation of Hungary, Mr. Xingxing Wang, Founder and CEO of Unitree Robotics, Dr. Charles L. Welch, President and CEO of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, Professor Carolyn Evans, Chair of Universities Australian and Vice Chancellor of Griffith University, and Mr. Xigui Li, Principal of Beijing Navigation School, who shared innovative practices and forward-looking ideas from diverse perspectives.

During the Australia-China University Leaders Dialogue, Professor Li Jin emphasized the crucial role of universities in driving sustainable development. He highlighted the substantial academic partnership between China and Australia, noting specific SUSTech collaborations with Australian institutions, including research partnerships with the University of Queensland, and innovation-linked programs connecting students with industry ecosystems in Shenzhen and Melbourne.

Addressing shared global challenges, Professor Jin emphasized the role of universities in advancing sustainability through transformative research, integrating sustainability ethics into education, and accelerating innovation for sustainable technologies. He proposed enhanced collaboration in establishing joint research hubs, expanding mobility programs, deepening industry-academia cooperation, and developing shared capacity-building initiatives.

The conference was organized by the Chinese Education Association for International Exchange with the theme "Bridging Education and Beyond" and New Zealand as the Country of Honor. It featured over 100 bilateral and multilateral events, including Signature Events, CACIE Forums,  CACIE B2B, China Education Expo and CACIE Networking. More than 5,000 participants attended from over 60 countries and regions, including embassy officials, representatives from educational institutions, leaders of local education authorities, university presidents, and delegates from partner organizations.

Contributed by SUSTech Global