Coordinate vigorous efforts, and pivot development to a new chapter of innovation. To seize the opportunities and tackle challenges brought to global education by transformations unseen in a century, with the purpose of opening up a new path of education reform in the first year of the 14th five-year plan, the 6th Annual Forum of Integrate to Innovate, which is organized by Fazheng Group, was successfully held in Beijing on 28th September. Guided by the theme of “Work Together for New Future”, dozens of high-profile diplomats, heads of associations directly under the Ministry of Education and education industry elite gathered together to conduct in-depth discussions and communications with guests and audience online and offline by centering on the response to changes in education and new patterns of future education reforms.
The forum kicked off with a promotion video which followed the thread of the development of the Forum and displayed its journey from a small-sized event to now a reputable annual grand gathering in education industry.
At the outset, Mr. Wang Yongli, the Vice President and Secretary General of China Education Association for International Exchange (hereinafter referred as CEAIE) addressed the opening ceremony and extended his heartfelt congratulations to the opening of the Forum on behalf of CEAIE. He also appealed for determined efforts in promoting education equality, sustainable development and adhering to opening up from fellow colleagues in global education.
Then, Ms. Pan Jun, Vice President & CEO of Fazheng Group and Chairman of Beijing Royal Charity Foundation, delivered a keynote speech to introduce the background of the 6th Forum and reviewed its development and innovative journey while focusing on themes of the Forum. She said that, what remains unchanged for the Forum is the vision of “pursuing innovation, focusing on the globe and synergistic progress”, the pioneering mindset of closely following the latest trends of global education and the faithful commitment to ideals in education. What has changed is the upgrading and innovation of the mode of Forum, constant improvement of discussion mechanisms and the increased diversity of participants. In the end, Ms. Pan Jun highlighted the positive ramifications of the “double-reduction” policy and the initiative for “education to stay true to its original aspiration”, as well as the meeting challenges on the readjustments of education industry.
The 2021 Report on Current Development and Prospect of China's Overseas Education by the Research Institute of International Education South-South Cooperation was then officially released. On the event, Ms. Cai Jiutian, the Deputy General Manager of Fazheng International Education, offered comprehensive interpretation on the report from the perspectives of its background and significance, overall design of the research, the setting up of risk systems and consultation of overseas education. As the official research report of the Forum, the annual Bluebook Report on Chinese International Schools has been published 5 years in a row since the inception of the Forum, turning to a definitive report in international education industry. The Bluebook Report offers references of policies and statistics for industry development, notably the selection of overseas schools and decision making in studying abroad.
Responding to the three trending topics in education industry in the era of transformation, the 6th Annual Forum of Integrate to Innovate has specially launched the Roundtable for Ambassadors: Mission, Loyalty and Dedication, the Roundtable for Principals: Inclusiveness and Synergistic Development and the Roundtable for Experts: New Concepts of International Education.
The Roundtable for Ambassadors was presided over by Ms. Wang Yan, former Dean of the School of International Education of China Foreign Affairs University.At which Li Ruiyu (member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, former Director General of the European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, former Ambassador of China to Denmark and Italy), Luo Linquan (Vice President of the China Public Diplomacy Association, former Director General of the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, former Ambassador of China to Greece and Ireland), Yang Xiuping (Vice President of the China Public Relations Association, former Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Lithuania, ASEAN, and former Secretary General of the China-ASEAN Center), and Wei Ruixing (former Chinese Ambassadors to Papua New Guinea, Namibia and Lithuania) shared their expertise and experiences in state-visits, diplomatic protocol training, developing diplomatic mindset, diplomatic career for a female and evacuation of overseas Chinese from Solomon and Libya etc. They vividly demonstrated China's responsibility as a major country and their loyalty and faithfulness to diplomacy.
At the Roundtable for Principals moderated by Ms. Zheng Zhen, Deputy General Manager of Fazheng International Education, Zhou Mansheng (Executive Deputy Director of the Academic Committee of the China Education Development Strategy Society and Researcher at Education Development Center of Ministry of Education), Heng Xiaojun (former Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Canada, Principal of Beijing Royal School), Xia Qingfeng (Principal of Beijing Middle School) and Liu Keqin (Principal of Zhongguancun No.3 Primary School) elaborated on the innovative mechanism of education industry from perspectives of educational research institutes, international schools and administrators of public schools and they also envisioned the way forward for the education industry.
At the Roundtable for Experts moderated by Mr. Yin Kai, Secretary General of CEAIE, Cen Jianjun (former Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the United States), Zhang Dongsheng (Secretary General of the International Education Branch of the Chinese Society of Education), Ma Xuelei (Vice President of the Beijing Private Education Association) and Wu Xinping (Education Market Officer of the Cultural and Education Division of the British Council and the British Embassy) joined the discussion of new training pattern of international talents and the definition of international education with “double-reduction” policy in place.
The all-round and diversified mindset of the Forum of Integrate to Innovate has been manifested in three themed roundtable discussions and demonstrated by pioneers in education industry from three different fields.
For China and the whole world, the year of 2021 is nothing but unusual. The globe is ushering in a new normal with the pandemic, while economic and cultural exchanges are slowly reviving. The pandemic has expedited the progression of digitalization and technological innovation, giving rise to new education development patterns. 2021 also marks the remarkable achievement of 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, when we reflect upon the glorious history, embark on a new journey to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects, and take confident strides toward our goal for the second centenary. Opportunities and challenges arising from changes unseen in a century have put forward new requirements for the strategy of prioritizing education. Against this historic backstop, the 6th Annual Forum of Integrate to Innovate can exert more significant and special influence for serving as a platform of pioneering philosophies of international education, as a reputable stage for exchanges of opinions and as a smart space of innovative practices of international education.
