On the morning of June 8, 2016, the Unveiling Ceremony of International Centre for Higher Education Innovation (ICHEI-SHENZHEN) under the Auspices of UNESCO was held in Wuzhou Guest House, Shenzhen. Tang Qian, Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO, Wu Yihuan, Deputy Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal Government, Du Yue, Secretary General of National Commission of the People’s Republic of China for UNESCO, Guo Yurong, Director of Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Education, and Chen Yidan, Founder and Honorary Chairman of Tencent Foundation, were invited to attend the ceremony. There were altogether more than 100 guests present at the ceremony, including representatives from UNESCO, scholars from universities and institutes, businessmen, and journalists.

Tang Qian delivers a speech

At the unveiling ceremony, Tang Qian extended on behalf of UNESCO congratulations on the launching of ICHEI-SHENZHEN, and expressed appreciation and gratitude for Shenzhen’s active participation in activities held by UNESCO. He added that the launching of ICHEI-SHENZHEN indicated a higher level of cooperation between UNESCO and Shenzhen. As the first Category 2 centre for higher education in China, ICHEI will further advance the development of higher education innovation. Shenzhen, being an emerging innovative city, is home to many outstanding enterprises. Backed by SUSTech, ICHEI-SHENZHEN will definitely make great headway in higher education. UNESCO hopes the center could accomplish the established mission and press ahead with various projects through cooperation with the local government, universities, and people from all walks of life.  

Du Yue expresses congratulations on the launching of the centre

Du Yue extended congratulation on the launching of ICHEI-SHENZHEN and regarded it as an important move of strategic significance and international vision with the support of SUSTech. He hoped the centre could guide higher education innovation and play a constructive role in the international cooperation of UNESCO and South-South cooperation.

Wu Yihuan delivers a speech

Wu Yihuan expressed on behalf of Shenzhen Municipal Government gratitude to UNESCO and National Commission of the People’s Republic of China for UNESCO for their concern and support to the economic, social and educational development of Shenzhen. She stated that the launching of ICHEI-SHENZHEN indicated a step forward of the cooperation between UNESCO and Shenzhen, which was also an important move for higher education in Shenzhen to go global. Shenzhen is committed to the reform of higher education in China, with efforts to make breakthroughs in higher education and develop a pattern of higher education with its own uniqueness. Under the guidance of UNESCO and National Commission of the People’s Republic of China for UNESCO, Wu hoped ICHEI-SHENZHEN could become a platform for research, exchange, cooperation and information sharing about higher education innovation in Asian Pacific region. In addition, the centre was expected to provide intellectual support for higher education reform, strengthening the development of higher education in Shenzhen and other regions, and the development of cultural and educational undertakings in Asian Pacific region.

Next, Tang Qian, Wu Yihuan, Du Yue, LI Ming, Guo Yurong and Chen Yidan came to the stage and jointly unveiled the nameplate of the UNESCO International Centre for Higher Education Innovation.

Press conference

After the launching ceremony, ICHEI-SHENZHEN held a press conference, during which two Deputy Directors of ICHEI-SHENZHEN Han Wei and Lu Chun answered questions from the journalists in terms of how it was founded, why it is significant, and what are its medium- and long-term plans and its core missions.

The setting up of ICHEI-SHENZHEN was approved on November 13, 2015 by the 38th General Conference of UNESCO. In May, 2016, the Shenzhen Municipal Government and UNESCO officially signed an agreement for the founding of the center. According to the agreement, ICHEI-SHENZHEN is an independent juridical person which receives guidance and assessment from the UNESCO. The center will also set up Innovation Fund for International Higher Learning. Part of the benefits will be employed to maintain the operation of ICHEI-SHENZHEN’s projects—a proposal that has won some enterprises’ support. SUSTech will build an international conference center which will be put into practice in 2008. This conference center will cover an area of 17,000 square meters, of which 600 to 900 square meters will be used as permanent office space, providing sufficient venues for research and training as well as international forums.

The mission of ICHEI-SHENZHEN is to meet local needs for quality resources of higher learning and promote education equity and quality in developing countries in Asia and Africa by taking advantage of Shenzhen’s industrial strength in the ICT sector and drawing on China’s experience in popularizing higher learning. ICHEI-SHENZHEN will conduct researches on the education of countries along the Maritime Silk Road, endeavoring to become an influential think tank of education and a platform of information exchanges and cross-cultural dialogues for innovative ideas and practices of international higher learning. Furthermore, by carrying out partnership programs with countries along the Maritime Silk Road through diverse forms including knowledge sharing and capacity building, ICHEI-SHENZHEN will output ICT products and services of Shenzhen, thus providing intellectual support and human resources guarantee for the industrialization, informatization and modernization of those countries.