Recently, the 2025 China–Italy University Presidents Dialogue, guided by the Ministry of Education of China and co-hosted by the China Education Association for International Exchange and the Conference of Italian University Rectors, was successfully held in Beijing. Huai Jinpeng, Minister of Education of China, and Anna Maria Bernini, Italy’s Minister of University and Research, attended the dialogue and delivered keynote speeches. They jointly signed the Joint Statement between the Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of China and the Minister of University and Research of the Italian Republic. Ren Youqun, Vice Minister of Education, presided over the meeting. Representatives from more than 60 universities and institutions from China and Italy gathered to discuss deeper cooperation in higher education.
President Li Yongqiang was invited to attend the event and chaired the thematic session titled “Innovative Joint Education Models to Advance Deep Integration of Industry, Academia, and Research.”
SWUFE attaches great importance to cooperation with Italian universities and has established solid partnerships with institutions such as Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Sapienza University of Rome, the University of Trento, and the University of Pavia. In 2024, SWUFE and Sapienza University of Rome successfully launched a joint doctoral program in Finance. In September this year, President Li Yongqiang led a delegation to visit Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and Sapienza University of Rome, reaching strong consensus on advancing new joint education programs in areas such as financial technology and data science.
During the dialogue, Chinese and Italian universities and institutions signed 16 cooperation memoranda and agreements. On behalf of SWUFE, Li Yongqiang signed a memorandum of cooperation with Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, marking a new milestone in the partnership between the two universities.
Looking ahead, SWUFE will continue to deepen pragmatic cooperation with Italian universities in talent cultivation, scientific research, and other areas, actively integrate into the China–Italy higher education cooperation network, and contribute to promoting cultural exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and Italian civilizations.
Directors from the Office of the President and the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation accompanied the visit.
