On the afternoon of November 10, Jiang Zeting, Secretary of the CPC CUPL Committee, and Ma Huaide, CUPL’s president, welcomed a delegation led by Marie-Eve Sylvestre, President of the University of Ottawa, and Jennifer May, Canada’s Ambassador to China, at CUPL’s Haidian Campus.
(Photo by Lu Yunkai: President of the University of Ottawa and Canada’s Ambassador to China visiting CUPL)
Jiang Zeting extended a warm welcome to President Sylvestre, Ambassador May, and the delegation. He introduced CUPL’s history, disciplines, reputation, achievements, as well as recent reforms and innovations in talent cultivation models, and efforts to promote exchanges and mutual learning among rule of law communities. He stated that CUPL and the University of Ottawa share similar educational philosophies and have a solid foundation for cooperation. The establishment of a joint institution in Hainan marks another significant achievement in the cooperation between the two universities. He expressed the hope that both sides would continue to deepen cooperation and exchanges, expand cooperation into more fields, join hands in achieving mutually beneficial outcomes, jointly promote the high-quality development of both universities, and contribute to the participation of China and Canada in global governance.
(Photo by Lu Yunkai: President of the University of Ottawa and Canada’s Ambassador to China visiting CUPL)
During the discussion, Ma Huaide reviewed the history of cooperation between the two universities and highly commended the efficient work and achievements of both teams in advancing Sino-foreign cooperative education. He noted that this year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Canada and the 20th anniversary of their strategic partnership; leading universities in China and Canada, including CUPL and the University of Ottawa, should continue to play a leading role in knowledge creation and social services, work together to address global challenges, and benefit the people of both nations. This shared vision is best reflected in the in-depth exchanges and cooperation between the two universities in multiple disciplines such as law and foreign languages, and the joint institute in Hainan will become the best practice and a paradigm for cooperation embodying this philosophy.
Marie-Eve Sylvestre thanked CUPL for the warm reception and expressed confidence in future cooperation between the two universities. She pointed out that in the context of globalization, the importance of transnational and cross-cultural cooperation is becoming increasingly prominent. Both universities have distinctive strengths in the humanities and social sciences. By establishing the joint institution in Hainan, they can tap into their respective advantages to cultivate outstanding graduates with interdisciplinary skills and a global perspective. She stated that the University of Ottawa stands ready to work with CUPL, using the joint institute as a platform to continuously advance talent cultivation and collaborative research, and to contribute to Sino-Canadian cultural exchanges and mutual learning on the rule of law.
(Photo by Lu Yunkai: Representatives of CUPL and the University of Ottawa signing the Letter of Intent on the Establishment of a Joint Institute in Hainan)
In the presence of Canada’s Ambassador to China Jennifer May and other guests, representatives of both universities signed the Letter of Intent on the Establishment of a Joint Institute in Hainan.
Other members of the University of Ottawa delegation included Melissa Forgie, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine; Mark Charron, Dean of the Faculty of Arts; Connell Monette, Director of Global Partnerships; Mark Walker, Vice-Dean of Internationalization and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine; Meghan Hach, Senior Manager of Internationalization and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine; and Jiao Jie, Senior Advisor, China Partnerships Development. Accompanying Ambassador May on the visit were Rochelle Bacigalupo, First Secretary and Trade Commissioner, and Zhu Xu, Trade Commissioner, both from the Embassy of Canada to China. CUPL representatives from the Academic Affairs Office, the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, the Civil, Commercial and Economic Law School, the Business School, the School of Foreign Studies, and the Hainan FTP Legal Research Institute of CUPL / Hainan International School also attended the meeting.
