Recently, President Wang Yonggui led a delegation to Belgium for a friendly visit. During the visit, Carl Decaluwé, Governor of West Flanders Province in Belgium, met with President Wang and the delegation. Frederik D’hulster, President of Howest University of Applied Sciences, and others attended the meeting. The two sides had extensive and in-depth exchanges on topics such as the preparation of the Bruges Silk Road School, the deepening of the Confucius Institute cooperation model, the joint training of international talents, and the in-depth cooperation between industry, academia and research.

Governor Carl Decaluwé highly commended Zhejiang Gongshang University for its tireless efforts and contributions to higher education and economic cooperation between the two provinces over the past thirteen years. He expressed his hope that the two institutions would further deepen their collaboration, explore new pathways for industry-education integration, and usher in a new chapter for the partnership between the two provinces.

During the visit, in the presence of Governor Carl Decaluwé, President Frederik D’hulster presented President Wang Yonggui with the certificate of appointment as an honorary professor of Howest University of Applied Sciences.

President Frederik reviewed the history of collaboration between the two universities. He pointed out that since the unveiling of the Confucius Institute on April 19, 2012, the two institutions have weathered the past thirteen years and built a solid strategic partnership and profound international friendship. He expressed hope that, starting from this new foundation, the two universities would further explore new areas of cooperation and play an active role in disciplines development, joint construction of research platforms, and the production of high-quality outcomes, thereby injecting new momentum into the growth of both institutions.

 

President Wang Yonggui expressed his gratitude for being appointed as an honorary professor at Howest. He noted that universities, as the primary hubs for technological innovation and talent cultivation, shoulder a significant mission of the times. In the future, he will fully leverage his academic resources and international network to actively promote the development of disciplines such as economics and management at the university and contribute to the educational endeavors of both institutions. Reflecting on the thirteen years of collaboration between the two universities, Wang Yonggui remarked that the Confucius Institute has enabled the two universities to forge a distinctive path for disseminating Chinese culture, establishing itself as an important bridge linking the friendly exchanges between Zhejiang Province and West Flanders. He emphasized that this visit to Belgium is not only a reunion to deepen friendship but also a journey of collaboration aimed at shared development. Zhejiang Gongshang University will steadfastly adhere to the philosophy of open education and resolutely advance international exchanges and cooperation. The university hopes to use this visit as an opportunity to deepen Sino-Belgian collaboration in education and teaching, scientific research, cultural dissemination, and the integration of industry and education, striving to achieve even more fruitful outcomes.

The appointment of President Wang Yonggui as an honorary professor not only recognizes his personal academic achievements but also provides new momentum for deepening collaboration between the two universities, enhancing the sharing of international faculty resources, and strengthening research cooperation.