On the evening of November 8, 2024, President Xi Jinping and Italian President Sergio Mattarella jointly met with representatives attending the China-Italy Cultural Cooperation Mechanism Conference and the Dialogue between Chinese and Italian University Presidents in Beijing. The two heads of state heard reports from representatives of the two sides on China-Italy cultural and university cooperation. Li Yansong, President of Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) attended the events.

   The Dialogue between Chinese and Italian University Presidents was held at Peking University on November 9. Hosted by China's Ministry of Education and Italy’s Ministry of University and Research, the event brought together representatives from around 50 universities from the two countries to discuss collaboration in higher education, joint innovation and high-quality talent development. With the theme of “Promoting Mutual Understanding of Civilizations and Cultivating Outstanding Talents”, the Dialogue featured two parallel forums for in-depth discussions.

   The opening ceremony was presided over by Chen Jie, Vice Minister of Education. Huai Jinpeng, Minister of Education, attended the ceremony and delivered a speech. Ana Maria Bernini, Italy’s Minister of University and Research, delivered a speech via video. Gong Qihuang, President of Peking University, and Tiziana Lippiello, a member of the Executive Committee of the Italian Federation of University Presidents, also attended and delivered remarks.

   Huai Jinpeng pointed out that in recent years, educational exchanges and cooperation between China and Italy have received close attention and direct guidance from the leaders of both countries. He expressed hope that universities in the two countries would explore new areas for cooperation where they can complement each other and address common challenges together.

    Li Yansong delivered a speech at the parallel forum on “Civilization Inheritance and Innovation -- The Future Mission of Higher Education”, presenting SISU’s significant contributions to the cultural and educational exchanges between China and Italy. He called on the academia of the two countries to build an academic community capable of drawing wisdom from ancient civilizations to address contemporary global issues. Li proposed three initiative: first, to expand scholar and student exchanges, promoting people-to-people connections; second, to conduct joint research on the history of civilizations, deepening mutual understanding; and third, to enhance international cooperation in higher education through modern technologies, advancing intelligent education. He urged that the universities of both countries should work together to deepen academic exchanges, strengthen Sino-Italian friendship, and foster global understanding and world peace.

   During the event, Li together with SISU delegation, exchanged ideas on inter-university cooperation with the presidents or representatives of Italian universities, such as the University of Bologna, Politecnico di Milano, University of Venice, University of Siena, University for Foreigners of Perugia, University of Salento, University of Macerata and University of Tuscia. The discussion covered matters such as joint training programs, mutual visits, collaborative scientific research, and academic dialogue. A roadmap for future exchanges was outlined, with potential areas of focus including area studies, linguistics, global governance and data science, archaeology and civilization studies, classical studies, translation studies and China studies. The communication enriched Italian academics’ understanding of SISU’s interdisciplinary achievements and laid a foundation for expanded cooperation.

   In the afternoon, the SISU delegation attended a keynote speech delivered by Sergio Mattarella, Italian President, at Peking University.

   SISU’s ties with Italy date back to 1972, when it established its Italian language program. Since then, SISU has cultivated nearly 1,000 excellent graduates proficient in Italian, who have contributed to Sino-Italian exchanges in various fields, serving as ambassadors of friendship. SISU has established long-term partnerships with 12 Italian universities in the fields such as linguistics and language teaching, law, management and translation studies. In 2001, SISU organized China’s first nationwide workshop for Italian teachers, which became a key part of “Week of the Italian Language in the World”, Italy’s largest global culture promotion event. Two SISU professors have been honored as Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. As a practitioner of Sino-Italian friendship, a promoter of cross-cultural understanding, and a participant in building a shared future for humanity, SISU continues to make significant contributions to fostering ties between China and Italy.