Delegation from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura Visits Our University

From June 2 to June 8, a delegation from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (referred to as “Jayewardenepura University”) visited our university for a week. The delegation included Professor Pathmalal Manage, the Vice Chancellor of Jayewardenepura University, Professor Shirantha Heenkenda, the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Dr. Dushan Jayawickrama, the Dean of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce.

On June 3, President Li Lu met with Professor Pathmalal Manage, the Vice-Chancellor of Jayewardenepura University, and Dr. Dushan Jayawickrama, Dean of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, among others. Attending the meeting from our university were President Li Lu, Chen Zhi, the Executive Deputy Director of the Academic Committee, Jiang Wenjie, Director of the Academic Affairs Office, Yan Weiwei, Director of the Student Development and Services Office, Wang Yun, Director of the International Exchange Office, Li Jianliang, Dean of the School of Humanities and Foreign Languages, and Xia Qing, Dean of the School of Economics and Social Welfare. Also attending the meeting were Professor Janaka Kumarasinghe and Professor Lukma Wellasinghe, two foreign faculty members from our School of Economics and Public Well-being, as well as a professor from the Management Studies and Commerce at Jayewardenepura University.

During the meeting, President Li Lu welcomed Vice-Chancellor Manage and his delegation, providing an overview of our university’s history and development. He reviewed the achievements of over a decade of inter-university visits, faculty and student exchanges, and academic collaborations, highlighting the mutual support and assistance provided during the pandemic. Vice-Chancellor Manage expressed gratitude to President Li Lu for his concern and support for the cooperation between the two universities, particularly for the strong support given to 26 students and one faculty member from Jayewardenepura University who came to study at our university. He introduced Jayewardenepura University, emphasizing its development in environmental science, medicine, and information technology, and mentioned that the university houses the National Institute of Allergy and Immunology. He expressed hope for academic exchange and research collaboration with our university, and requested support in Chinese language teaching, external training, and cultural exchanges between China and Sri Lanka. President Li Lu fully endorsed Vice-Chancellor Manage’s ideas and proposals, noting the solid foundation of cooperation between the two universities. He suggested expanding the scope of collaboration to include Chinese education, economics, environmental science, and medicine, and proposed establishing in-depth, point-to-point exchanges. Prior to the meeting, President Li Lu accompanied Vice-Chancellor Manage on a tour of the Hetian Library and the Interdisciplinary Research Academy.

During Vice-Chancellor Manage’s visit, he and his delegation participated in several discussion sessions on four areas of cooperation. These sessions were chaired by Vice President Chen Xinmin and attended by representatives and faculty members from the School of Humanities and Foreign Languages, the School of Economics and Social Welfare, and the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. They also attended a discussion chaired by Chen Weizhe, Dean of Shulan International Medical School, where they engaged in in-depth discussions on collaborative research in the medical field, joint talent training, and joint PhD programs. Another session, chaired by Liu Weiping, Dean of the Interdisciplinary Research Academy, focused on environmental science research and the establishment of joint laboratories. The delegation also visited the Zhejiang Provincial International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base for Remote Sensing Image Processing and Applications, the Tea Culture Laboratory, the Hetian Library, and Qingmao Academy.

During the visit, Vice-Chancellor Manage, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Shirantha Heenkenda, and Dean of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce Dushan Jayawickrama delivered academic lectures to the faculty and students of the School of Economics. The topics of their lectures were “The Role of Higher Education in National and Economic Development,” “The Rising Opportunities and Challenges in China-Sri Lanka Tourism Industry Cooperation: Navigating the Path Forward,” and “Sri Lanka as a Travel Destination from Tourists’ Perspective,” respectively.

Additionally, they also participated in some activities and the closing ceremony of the language and cultural study program organized for students at the university.