On September 5, the 8th Hangzhou International Day kicked off on the banks of the Qiantang River. Frédéric Genty, the French Dean of Zhongfa Aviation Institute of Beihang University (ZFAI),was invited to attend and was awarded the "Join in Card".
With the theme "A Paradise Where AI Booms and Culture Blooms", the Hangzhou International Day brought together diplomatic envoys to China from 23 countries, heads of seven international organizations, delegations from two international sister cities, guests from the Belt and Road Local Cooperation (BRLC) Committee, as well as officials and representatives from Hong Kong and Macau institutions based in Hangzhou.
At the event, Zhang Dengfeng, Deputy Mayor of Hangzhou and Party Secretary of the Hangzhou High-Tech Zone (Binjiang), presented the "Join in Card" to Frédéric Genty. The card embodies Hangzhou's invitation to international talents. It integrates foreign work permit information into the social security card, enabling "one-card access" for work and daily services covering identity verification, banking, medical insurance, public transport, and discounts for cultural and tourist activities. Frédéric Genty is the first foreign expert in Hangzhou to receive the card.
In a media interview after the opening ceremony, Frédéric Genty said that the card significantly simplifies both daily life and work for foreign experts in China. The card made him feel Hangzhou's progress in international services and China's determination to pursue an open and inclusive strategy and to further improve its opening-up policy. Later, Frédéric Genty joined other Chinese and foreign guests at an exhibition of Hangzhou's international achievements and enjoyed classic excerpts from Aida and Romeo and Juliet.
During the Hangzhou International Day, Hangzhou unveiled a package of initiatives of international cooperation and urban service upgrading, including the signing of an exchange and cooperation agreement with the University of Verona; the signing of a letter of intent for friendly exchange with Serang, Indonesia; the admission of new BRLC members; the launch of the AI Hangzhou integrated foreign-related service platform (2.0 version); and the presentation of the "Join in Card".
As Hangzhou grows more international, an increasing number of foreign experts are choosing to work and live in the city. The Hangzhou International Innovation Institute (H3I) of Beihang University will work together with local government departments at all levels and entry & exit administrations to upgrade international services. Starting from reality, H3I will focus on the daily needs of foreign experts in Hangzhou and strive to create an international academic community with people-centered care and shared cultural understanding.
Approved by Dong Zhuoning, Zhang Wei, Xu Ran
Edited by Yuan Xiaohui
