The 4th Tsinghua Higher Education Forum in Conjunction with 2025 Asian Universities Alliance Academic Conference recently opened at the Tsinghua Southeast Asia Center. The forum, centered on the critical theme: “The Future of Internationalization in Higher Education: Markets, Geopolitics, and Epistemic Justice,” convened over 150 experts, scholars, and researchers from global educational institutions.
The opening ceremony featured remarks from several distinguished guests. Speakers included Guo Yong, deputy secretary of the CPC Tsinghua University Committee; Getachew Engida, former UNESCO deputy director-general; Ir. I Nengah Sujaya, vice rector for academic affairs at Udayana University; and Cherie Nursalim, co-Chair of the Southeast Asia Center, Tsinghua University. Additionally, Stella Christie, vice minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, delivered special video remarks.
In his address, Guo Yong emphasized that in the face of complex circumstances intertwined with globalization and geopolitics, higher education internationalization urgently requires the establishment of new models, forms, and consensus. He affirmed Tsinghua University’s dedication to implementing its global strategy, actively advancing the development of its overseas bases, expanding access to quality international educational resources, and building a robust global partnership system for education and scientific research.
Getachew Engida highlighted that while internationalization brings opportunities for collaboration, it is also confronted by numerous challenges rooted in inequality. He stressed that future endeavors must be dedicated to establishing equitable partnerships. Ir. I Nengah Sujaya shared the internationalization practices of universities in the region, focusing specifically on Udayana University's experiences. Cherie Nursalim presented the Center as a case study, illustrating a concrete exploration of new concepts in internationalization. In her video message, Vice Minister Stella Christie underscored the role of higher education as a key driver of economic growth.
Focusing on the future of higher education internationalization, the forum featured keynote reports delivered by three distinguished scholars: Professor Emeritus Cheng Kaiming from The University of Hong Kong, William Kirby, chairman of the Harvard China Fund, and Simon Marginson, founding director of the Centre for Global Higher Education (CGHE) at the University of Oxford.
A subsequent roundtable discussion gathered leading experts—including Xie Weihe, Distinguished Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at Tsinghua University; Liu Haifeng, Distinguished Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at Zhejiang University; William Kirby; Shi Zhongying, dean of the School of Education at Tsinghua University; and Yang Rui, dean of the Faculty of Education at The University of Hong Kong—for an in-depth dialogue on the prospects for Sino-U.S. higher education cooperation.
Established in 2022, the Tsinghua Higher Education Forum continues to serve as a global observatory and think tank dedicated to addressing transformative trends in higher education worldwide.
Editor: Li Han
