Principal Jia Made a Keynote Speech on 2019 Belt and Road International Forum for Principals of Elementary and Secondary Schools
Click: Post Date:2019-07-22 10:02:00 Event Date:2019-07-22 10:02:00
The 2019 Belt and Road International Forum for Principals of Elementary and Secondary Schools and Conference for Member Schools of 100 Sister School Initiative, one of the events on the Fourth Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, was held in the International Conference Center of the High School Attached to NWNU from July 17th to 18th , 2019, with Xu Hongwei, Deputy Director-General of the Education Department of Gansu province, Liu Xiaolin, Full-time Vice-president of Gansu Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (GPAFFC) and Dong Chenzhong, Vice-president of NWNU attending the opening ceremony. Over 100 people participated in the conference, including more than ten principals from elementary and secondary schools of different countries and regions, such as Belorussia, Finland, Malaysia, USA, Canada, Japan and Taiwan's Kaohsiung City, principals of member schools in Gansu province involved in the 100 Sister School Initiative, officials in charge of foreign affairs or education bureau in cities or municipalities of Gansu province, principals of famous elementary and secondary schools in and out of Gansu province, experts in education research field, representatives from education institutions and others. Co-organized by Education Department of Gansu Province, Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Gansu Province and Gansu Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (GPAFFC), the forum was hosted in the High School Attached to NWNU and supported by NWNU and Lanzhou Education Bureau, with the annual theme of “Brightening the future with openness and cooperation”. the forum mainly consisted of such events as “signing between sister schools”, “keynote speeches” and “round-table forum”.
In the afternoon of July 18th, Principal Jia made a keynote speech with the topic of “As for Excellent Development, Harmony Fosters New Things.-------Thoughts and Practice on the Development of the School in the Background of ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative”, discussing the impacts of “Belt and Road” on education development and opportunities brought to the education in western regions of China. He also talked about the enlightenment of the idea of “harmony actually fosters new things” on secondary education by making a combination with the school-running practice of the High School Attached to NWNU, which was very novel and provoking.
As pointed by Principal Jia, the “Belt and Road” Initiative, originated from the historical concept of the “Ancient Silk Road” and “Maritime Silk Road”, has been endowed with the new characteristics of the time. In line with the developing principle of “peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and benefit”, it inherits and develops the traditional spirit of the ancient silk road and will fully maximize the ancient silk road’s positive impacts on improving economic cooperation, cultural exchange and national unity and stability.
In terms of education, high quality resources along the eastern coastal area spread and develop coordinately along the “one belt and one road” regions through a series of methods, bringing new opportunities to the education in western areas and contributing to the development of schools. Schools can try to apply “one belt and one road” special courses resources, enlarge international education, explore the education in languages alone “one belt and one road” countries, especially minority languages, enrich dialogue mechanism, improve cooperation in education, pay attention to the construction of “one belt and one road” and cultivate future-oriented citizens.
Principal Jia stressed in his speech that the high school has formed the school-running principle of “Excellent development can be achieved with the idea that harmony actually fosters new things.” by complying with the concept of “one belt and one road” initiative and absorbing essence cultural elements of “one belt and one road” countries and regions. Through the eleven-year practice of international education, the high school has explored some practical methods conforming to the reality in Gansu province and the school, such as establishing “International Experimental Class for Senior Students” , offering optional courses, setting up societies and positively bringing minority languages to the campus. The school also pays much emphasis on international exchanges and cooperation, actively explores the new patterns of cooperation in education and carries out multiform professional training for teachers in various ways so as to improve the curriculum construction and teaching abilities. Besides, it improves the extra-curriculum activity system and develop the students’ abilities of being a future citizen in multiple dimensions. Jia’s speech received favorable remarks from foreign and domestic principals, getting positive responses.
