On the afternoon of October 15, José Manuel Albares Bueno, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain, led a delegation to the Hangzhou International Campus of Beihang University. Zhao Changlu, Party Secretary of Beihang University, met with the visiting delegation.
Other attendees included Marta Betanzos Roig, Ambassador of Spain to China; Luis Antonio Calvo Castaño, Spain's Consul General in Shanghai; María Esther Gómez Martín, Secretary General of the Education Department of the Valencian Community; José Esteban Capilla Romá, President of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV); Jose F. Monserrat, Vice President of UPV; Chen Ping, Deputy Secretary of the Education Working Committee of the Hangzhou Municipal Party Committee and Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Hangzhou Municipal Education Bureau; Luo Jianqiang, Deputy District Mayor of Yuhang District; Zhao Weisheng, Vice President of Beihang University, and faculty and student representatives. The meeting was chaired by Zhao Weisheng.
Zhao Changlu delivered a speech
Zhao Changlu warmly welcomed José Manuel Albares Bueno and his delegation and expressed heartfelt gratitude for the Minister's support for the joint education programs between Beihang University and UPV. He said that Beihang's collaboration with Spanish universities had yielded fruitful results, with UPV being one of its closest partners. After the launch of the China-Spain Institute for Excellent Engineers, jointly established by the two universities on September 27, Beihang-Valencia Polytechnic Institute, a high-level educational institution offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs, is pending approval and is planned to be located at the Hangzhou International Campus of Beihang University. He emphasized that on the 20th anniversary of the China-Spain comprehensive strategic partnership, Beihang looked forward to running the Beihang-Valencia Polytechnic Institute well with UPV, exploring a new paradigm of education that integrates Chinese and Spanish features in artificial intelligence and embodied intelligence, and cultivating high-level interdisciplinary talent for both countries. The two sides should also further expand the scope of cooperation to create a better future for higher education in the digital age and contribute wisdom and strength to global sustainable development.
José Esteban Capilla Romá delivered a speech
José Esteban Capilla Romá expressed gratitude to all who have long cared for and supported the construction of the Beihang-Valencia Polytechnic Institute. He pointed out that the Institute was an important milestone in academic, cultural, and technological cooperation between China and Spain. It will become a hub for innovation, a platform for ideological exchange, and a cradle for joint research and development of solutions between the two universities, further deepening the efficient cooperation between China and Spain in higher education over the past 20 years. He believed that with the joint efforts of both sides, the cooperation between the two countries in education, research, and innovation would be enhanced, and the Institute would grow into an excellent talent training base and a model for the Spanish higher education system.
María Esther Gómez Martín delivered a speech
María Esther Gómez Martín thanked individuals and institutions for their active participation and hard work in the construction of the Beihang-Valencia Polytechnic Institute and appreciated the professionalism and enthusiasm demonstrated by all parties in advancing joint education initiatives. She said that the Institute marked a milestone in the history of Spanish higher education, which would open a new chapter in academic cooperation between China and Spain and stand as a model for international institutional cooperation. UPV and Beihang University boast a rich heritage and extensive experience in technological innovation and talent development. Bound by mutual trust and mutual benefit, both universities pursue excellence and advance technological progress. The government of the Valencian Community will continue to internationalize higher education and support all initiatives that foster cultural exchange and shared development.
José Manuel Albares Bueno delivered a speech
José Manuel Albares Bueno expressed sincere gratitude to all those who had contributed their wisdom and strength to the construction of the Beihang-Valencia Polytechnic Institute. He emphasized that the Institute's development was an important milestone in the friendly development of bilateral relations, embodied both countries' firm commitment to cooperation and understanding, and symbolized their deep mutual trust and shared vision in higher education. In the current complex and ever-changing international landscape, educational cooperation is not only a vehicle of knowledge sharing but also a bridge to promote understanding and rationality. Over the past 20 years, both sides have continuously deepened their bilateral ties to bring greater strategic stability and vitality to the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Spain through pragmatic cooperation. He pointed out that cooperation was the key to development and win-win outcomes and expressed his hope that the two sides should work together to deepen cooperation between China and Spain in student visits, faculty and student exchanges, and industry-education integration. These efforts will nurture excellent engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs equipped to meet future challenges, address global issues, and create a better future for all of humanity.
José Manuel Albares Bueno penned a dedicatory message for the cooperation between the two universities, conveying sincere aspirations for China-Spain educational cooperation.
Jointly unveiling the plaque for the building of the China-Spain Institute for Excellent Engineers
José Manuel Albares Bueno, Zhao Changlu, José Esteban Capilla Romá, and Zhao Weisheng jointly unveiled the plaque for the building of the China-Spain Institute for Excellent Engineers. This new space will host a wider range of collaborative initiatives between the two universities and give fresh momentum to higher-education exchange between China and Spain.
That morning, Zhao Changlu held talks with José Esteban Capilla Romá. The two sides had in-depth discussions on further deepening cooperation in higher education between China and Spain. They said that the friendship between the two universities had grown stronger over time. The new cooperation marks a milestone in internationalizing higher education of both countries. They looked forward to further communication and collaboration to ensure substantive, steady, and sustained growth in their partnership in education.
Beihang University and UPV signed a university-level partnership agreement in 2007. Over the past decade, the two sides have exchanged close to 100 students. In 2025, which marks the 20th anniversary of the China-Spain comprehensive strategic partnership, the two universities are set to deepen their collaboration even further.
In January, Jose F. Monserrat, Vice President of UPV, visited the Hangzhou International Campus of Beihang University.
In April, 12 professors from Beihang University visited UPV for in-depth discussions on talent development and scientific research cooperation in telecommunications, computer science, and mechanical engineering.
In July, José Esteban Capilla Romá, President of UPV, led a delegation to Beihang University, where the two universities held the First Sino-Spain Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Symposium. José Esteban Capilla Romá was invited to speak at the Beihang Lecture Hall. Later that month, UPV Day@Hangzhou & Beihang International Summer School (BISS) took place at the Hangzhou International Campus of Beihang University, with over ten UPV students attending.
On September 27, Beihang University and UPV signed a memorandum of cooperation to jointly establish the China-Spain Institute for Excellent Engineers.
At the opening ceremony on September 29, Zhao Weisheng and Jose F. Monserrat unveiled the plaque for the Beihang-UPV International Excellent Engineers Program.
Approved by Dong Zhuoning, Zhang Wei, Xu Ran
Edited by Yuan Xiaohui
