(By Xu Jingyao, photo by Yuan Xiaohui, Xu Jingyao) From April 21 to 23, Professor Gilles FLEURY, General Delegate of Groupe des Écoles Centrale (GEC) and member of the Beihang-Europe Cooperation Committee, visited the Hangzhou International Campus of Beihang University to advance in-depth cooperation between the two universities in talent development and technological innovation.
On April 22, Professor Gilles FLEURY held a discussion with Dong Zhuoning, Director of the Hangzhou International Innovation Institute of Beihang University (H3I). Dong Zhuoning expressed his appreciation for GEC's contributions to expanding H3I's cooperation network with France and to promoting the high-quality double-degree program. Professor Gilles FLEURY highly praised the current double-degree program for the quality of students and the effectiveness of training. The two sides agreed to work together to promote the building of the Beihang-GEC Carbon Neutrality Joint Laboratory, strengthen the collaborative innovation of scientific research between China and Europe, deepen comprehensive cooperation with local enterprises, and further integrate industry and education to support talent development.
During the visit, Professor Gilles FLEURY met with students of the Beihang-GEC double-degree program in Hangzhou. The students participating in the meeting are all scheduled to study at Écoles Centrale starting in September. They had in-depth discussions with Professor Gilles FLEURY on topics such as their research and study plans in France, choices of Centrale schools, and mentor matching. Professor Gilles FLEURY provided personalized guidance and suggestions based on each student's professional orientations and academic plan. He pointed out that under the joint training mode by Chinese and French mentors, double-degree students are both academic explorers and “bridges” for Sino-French scientific research cooperation. Through this “bottom-up” practical approach, the two universities can promote deep cooperation in basic research and application.
As a member of the Beihang-Europe Cooperation Committee and a senior expert in the university's cooperation with France, Professor Gilles FLEURY was invited to attend an advisory session with H3I's International Cooperation Office. He has provided forward-looking suggestions regarding the institute's strategy for international cooperation and development. He pointed out that Beihang University has established a solid foundation of cooperation with universities in many parts of the world, such as France, Spain, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates. Faced with increasing opportunities for cooperation, the university should focus on enhancing quality, further consolidate its educational foundation, improve top-level design, leverage the complementary advantages of the disciplines of Beihang University and the partner universities, build a full-cycle quality assurance system, and establish a benchmark for international cooperation with excellent teaching and high-quality students.
Launched in 2020, the double master's degree program of Beihang University and GEC has admitted five cohorts of students. This visit has not only consolidated the long-term partnership between the two universities but also drawn a new blueprint for collaborative scientific research and innovation, particularly in carbon neutrality. With joint talent development as the bond and scientific research cooperation as the engine, the two sides will elevate cooperation in higher education between China and France to new heights.
Approved by Dong Zhuoning, Zhang Wei, Xu Ran
Edited by Yuan Xiaohui
