CI-Ateneo attends the Sun Yat-sen University centennial celebration and global forum of university presidents

On 12 November in Guangzhou, China, Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) celebrated its centennial anniversary and hosted the Global Forum of University Presidents alongside the Innovation-Driven Development Forum. SYSU serves as the partner institution of Ateneo de Manila University for its Confucius Institute (CI-Ateneo), the first of its kind in the Philippines.

Over 40 university presidents and academic leaders from around the globe attended the event, which spanned from 10 to 13 November . Notable participants included Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Jean-Marie Lehn, a professor from the University of Strasbourg, France, and Tsinghua University President Li Luming. Representing the Philippines, Ateneo President Fr Roberto C Yap SJ, led the Philippine delegation consisting of CI-Ateneo Founding Director and Professor Emeritus Dr Ellen H Palanca, Chinese Director Dr Huang Linjun, and Administrative Assistant Ms Stephanie Tan. 

The Global Forum of University Presidents featured several parallel sessions, focusing on:

• Sustainable Development Goals and Higher Education: How to Understand and Respond?
• Sharing Experiences of Integrating Sustainable Development Education into Higher Education
• Establishing a Global University Network to Integrate Sustainability in Future Higher Education

Fr Yap contributed to the discussion on the Global University Network, emphasizing four key areas where universities can collaborate to promote sustainability: teaching, research, governance and operations, and civic engagement.

The delegation also enjoyed cultural highlights, including a classic orchestral concert dedicated to SYSU’s centennial anniversary and a scenic Pearl River cruise. The celebrations concluded with a grand gala show performed by SYSU faculty, students, and alumni.

Founded in 1924, Sun Yat-sen University is one of the top universities in China and Asia, and is globally renowned in the fields of medicine, natural sciences, engineering, and social sciences. Apart from jointly operating the Ateneo Confucius Institute since 2006, SYSU is also the University's partner in offering the Master in Teaching Chinese Language as a Foreign Language program. 

The Philippine delegation presented two gifts to SYSU, received by its president, Prof. Gao Song. The first gift is a Chinese painting created by CI-Ateneo’s master painter, Mr Ceasar Cheng. The artwork is inspired by Guangzhou’s city flower, the cotton tree flower, which is commonly seen on the SYSU campus. The second gift is a calligraphy piece by CI-Ateneo student Mr Pablo Ong. The inscription celebrates SYSU’s 100th anniversary and pays tribute to two iconic landmarks in Guangzhou: Baiyun Mountain and the Pearl River. These elements symbolize the university's enduring strength and legacy, much like the timeless presence of the mountain and the river.