On September 23, Sino-US University Presidents’ Dialogue 2024, a gathering of leaders from top Chinese and US universities under the Sino-US “10+10” program, was held in Chicago, United States. Chen Jie, China’s Vice Minister of Education and a member of Chinese Academy of Engineering, attended the Forum and delivered a keynote speech. Yin Dongmei, Chair of the University Council of Shanghai International Studies University(SISU), was also present and engaged in discussion. Accompanying Yin were Prof. Guo Shuyong, Dean of School of International Relations and Public Affairs, and Prof. Zhang Ailing, Dean of Graduate Institute of Interpretation and Translation.

In his opening speech, Chen Jie emphasized the significance of the Forum as a platform reflecting the vital role of higher education in the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. The Forum also highlighted the shared responsibility of Chinese and US universities in tackling global challenges. Chen expressed hope that universities from both countries would uphold openness and inclusiveness, leverage complementary advantages, expand avenues for cooperation and elevate the quality of collaboration, to contribute meaningfully to addressing common challenges and enhancing global welfare.

During a roundtable discussion moderated by Lisa Krieg, Vice President of Carnegie Mellon University, Yin Dongmei took SISU as an example to share the proactive efforts of Chinese foreign studies universities in integrating technological advancements into educational transformation in the era of artificial intelligence(AI). She outlined the university’s practices across four areas, namely, discipline development, talent cultivation, faculty construction, and teaching management. Yin elaborated on the evolving role of language in the context of AI  through the instrumental, humanistic, and academic dimensions. The rapid rise of large language model and generative AI requires foreign studies universities to maximize the instrumental value of language to ensure its indispensability; to explore the humanistic attributes of language in depth to underscore the humanism of universities; and to facilitate the transformation of traditional linguistics into “linguistic science” by strengthening the combination of language studies with AI and enhancing the interplay between linguistic data resources and technological innovation to drive industrial progress. Yin also stressed the importance of analyzing diverse application scenarios where language and AI intersect.

On the sidelines of the Forum, Yin also met with Lisa Krieg to look back on the 25-year history of friendly cooperation between SISU and Carnegie Mellon University, highlighting the fruitful results and agreeing on deepening ties. Yin also signed an agreement on an intercollegiate visiting student program with Michael Pippenger, Vice President of the University of Notre Dame. It marked the formal launch of the cooperative partnership between the two universities, covering initiatives such as short-term exchanges of scholars and joint academic conferences. The US university representatives expressed their willingness to work together with SISU to explore the integration of AI with traditional foreign language disciplines, aiming to foster communication and strengthen academic collaboration.

Sino-US University Presidents’ Dialogue 2024 served as a concrete step in education to implement the outcomes of the Summit Meeting Between Chinese and US Presidents in San Francisco in 2023. With the themes of “Opportunities and Challenges: Integrating Artificial Intelligence Technology into Education” and “Promoting Sino-US University Academic Collaboration”, the Forum looked into new modes of Sino-US higher education cooperation and exchanges amid the wave of globalization in education. The Forum was attended by representatives from 14 Chinese universities including Peking University and Tsinghua University and 12 American universities including Havard University and Yale University.

On September 23, Sino-US University Presidents’ Dialogue 2024, a gathering of leaders from top Chinese and US universities under the Sino-US “10+10” program, was held in Chicago, United States. Chen Jie, China’s Vice Minister of Education and a member of Chinese Academy of Engineering, attended the Forum and delivered a keynote speech. Yin Dongmei, Chair of the University Council of Shanghai International Studies University(SISU), was also present and engaged in discussion. Accompanying Yin were Prof. Guo Shuyong, Dean of School of International Relations and Public Affairs, and Prof. Zhang Ailing, Dean of Graduate Institute of Interpretation and Translation.

In his opening speech, Chen Jie emphasized the significance of the Forum as a platform reflecting the vital role of higher education in the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. The Forum also highlighted the shared responsibility of Chinese and US universities in tackling global challenges. Chen expressed hope that universities from both countries would uphold openness and inclusiveness, leverage complementary advantages, expand avenues for cooperation and elevate the quality of collaboration, to contribute meaningfully to addressing common challenges and enhancing global welfare.

During a roundtable discussion moderated by Lisa Krieg, Vice President of Carnegie Mellon University, Yin Dongmei took SISU as an example to share the proactive efforts of Chinese foreign studies universities in integrating technological advancements into educational transformation in the era of artificial intelligence(AI). She outlined the university’s practices across four areas, namely, discipline development, talent cultivation, faculty construction, and teaching management. Yin elaborated on the evolving role of language in the context of AI  through the instrumental, humanistic, and academic dimensions. The rapid rise of large language model and generative AI requires foreign studies universities to maximize the instrumental value of language to ensure its indispensability; to explore the humanistic attributes of language in depth to underscore the humanism of universities; and to facilitate the transformation of traditional linguistics into “linguistic science” by strengthening the combination of language studies with AI and enhancing the interplay between linguistic data resources and technological innovation to drive industrial progress. Yin also stressed the importance of analyzing diverse application scenarios where language and AI intersect.

On the sidelines of the Forum, Yin also met with Lisa Krieg to look back on the 25-year history of friendly cooperation between SISU and Carnegie Mellon University, highlighting the fruitful results and agreeing on deepening ties. Yin also signed an agreement on an intercollegiate visiting student program with Michael Pippenger, Vice President of the University of Notre Dame. It marked the formal launch of the cooperative partnership between the two universities, covering initiatives such as short-term exchanges of scholars and joint academic conferences. The US university representatives expressed their willingness to work together with SISU to explore the integration of AI with traditional foreign language disciplines, aiming to foster communication and strengthen academic collaboration.

Sino-US University Presidents’ Dialogue 2024 served as a concrete step in education to implement the outcomes of the Summit Meeting Between Chinese and US Presidents in San Francisco in 2023. With the themes of “Opportunities and Challenges: Integrating Artificial Intelligence Technology into Education” and “Promoting Sino-US University Academic Collaboration”, the Forum looked into new modes of Sino-US higher education cooperation and exchanges amid the wave of globalization in education. The Forum was attended by representatives from 14 Chinese universities including Peking University and Tsinghua University and 12 American universities including Havard University and Yale University.