By Héctor Zavala, Master student at Yenching Academy of Peking University

On March 27-28, the 2nd China-Mexico University Rectors Forum was held in Beijing, which highlighted  the theme, "University and Innovative Nation."

(China-Mexico University Rectors Forum held in Beijing  /Photo by Héctor Zavala)

Executive General Secretary of the forum, Jaime Valls, said educational challenges are global and shared among nations, while strategies to stimulate academic relations between institutions should be driven by friendship, mutual respect and trust.

The Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Mexico in China, Enrique Escorza, said nations should look to the future to know each other better, and to communicate more with leaders in higher education.

The event follows up on the First China-Mexico University Rectors Forum in México City on Feb. 4-5, 2010, hosted by the National Polytechnic Institute. Representatives of 17 Chinese universities and 40 Mexican higher education institutions had addressed the topic, "The future and challenges for Sino-Mexican cooperation on higher education."

Former Undersecretary of Higher Education of the Ministry of Public Education of Mexico, Rodolfo Tuirán, said that for China and Mexico "it is imperative to build together on an avenue of opportunities in education", and both countries can "learn from each other”.

For this year's forum, the two main topics for the five plenary sessions were on international student mobility and cultural & language cooperation between nations.

The president of the Autonomous University of Campeche, Gerardo Montero, said 2.5 million of students who are enrolled in universities outside their countries of origin, stands as proof on the benefits of globalization.

Vice President of the Dalian University of Foreign language said that language and cultures are the most solid bases for exchanges between countries. The cultural and academic coordinator of the Mexican Studies Center UNAM-BFSU, Pablo Mendoza, pointed out that learning Mandarin remains essential to understand the millenary culture of China.

 (Representatives to the Forum pose for a group photo   /Photo by Héctor Zavala)

The most effective academic model to enhance academic exchange not only between China and Mexico, but also between China and Latin America, is the Mexican Studies Center which was established in 2012 with collaboration with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU).

The Vice President of the BFSU, Yan Guohua, said the Faculty of Spanish of this university was founded in 1952 as the first one nationwide to offer a Spanish Language Degree.

The Director of the Mexican Studies Center UNAM-BFSU, Guillermo Pulido urged participants to develop strategies and links between universities and UNAM's international project in China, such as promoting internationalization, institutional linkage, the creation of academic cooperation networks, the dissemination of the Mexican and Chinese culture, among others.

 (Guillermo Pulido, Director of the Mexican Studies Center UNAM-BFSU, speaking at the forum /Photo by Héctor Zavala)

In his closing remarks, Valls expressed his hope that Mexican and Chinese universities can work closer together on a comprehensive Sino-Mexican educational relation, fostering academic collaboration and achieving mutual understanding through academic and cultural exchanges.

 Hector Zavala, master student of the Yenching Academy of Peking University, alumni of National Autonomous University of Mexico

(The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Panview or CCTV.com)

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