On November 3, the second Media Program for B&R Countries opened at Tsinghua University. Twenty-two executives and senior reporters from mainstream media agencies participated in this 6-day program. The program has helped participants better understand the achievements and experiences of China’s Reform and Opening up, creating a good atmosphere among them, and allowing them to reach a consensus on the Belt and Road Initiative. This training program is co-hosted by Tsinghua University and People's Daily and organized by the PBC School of Finance at Tsinghua University (Tsinghua PBCSF).
YANG Bin, Vice President and Provost of Tsinghua University and FU Zimei, Director of the Foreign Exchange and Cooperation Department of People's Daily attended the opening ceremony of the program and delivered welcome speeches. WANG Jingwei, Assistant Dean of Tsinghua University PBCSF hosted the ceremony.
On behalf of Tsinghua University, YANG Bin extended a heartfelt welcome and congratulations to the participants of the Program. “This year marks the 5th year of the Belt and Road Initiative and the 40th anniversary of China’s Reform and Opening up. Welcome to China and Tsinghua University in the most beautiful season of the year! Tsinghua PBCSF is one of the best schools for China’s financial education and has flourished with China’s Reform and Opening-up. I hope this program will help you understand China and the B&R Initiative better.”
Basing on the Belt and Road Initiative, YANG Bin explained the reasons for Tsinghua University and People’s Daily to host the program. He explained that part of the reason is the responsibility of Tsinghua to support the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative. “International exchange and cooperation” had become the fifth function for Tsinghua besides such functions as talent cultivation, academic research, social service, and cultural preservation. Tsinghua actively exerted its influences and continued to push forward cooperative projects internationally, especially those with countries in the Belt and Road region.
On the other hand, the media’s role had become increasingly important during the development of the Belt and Road Initiative. The media was not only the protector of history, the observer of reality, or the pioneer of the future, it was also the leader of public opinion and the communicator that would bring people closer in the OBOR region. YANG Bin said: “We are looking forward to the wisdom from the interaction between the university and the media.”
FU Zimei said, “The mission of mainstream media is to disseminate information and lead public opinion, which is in synch with the responsibility of institutions of higher education. Therefore, our cooperation is predestined when the condition is ripe. Under the joint efforts from Tsinghua University and People’s Daily, the program shows three characteristics. First, it has a specially designed curriculum. Students will learn about the economy, finance, foreign investments, cross-cultural communication and other topics that are helpful for expanding their fields of reporting; second, the program comprises both in-class lectures and in-field visitations for students to learn through different forms of activities; third, the design of the program is innovative and practical. Students will visit government agencies, grass root communities, and exemplar villages that have been lifted out of poverty. In this way, they will get to know the latest development of China and the ethos of Chinese in a comprehensive way.”
Arnold Belleza, the Executive Editor of Manila Times delivered a speech as the student representative. He said the B&R Initiative and China’s related efforts deserved praising. Nevertheless, sometimes when information was not sufficient, there would be doubts or disputes. Against such backdrop, it would be important to have deep cultural and educational exchanges because, “cultural and educational exchange can serve as a bridge for people to understand that, besides new roads and bridges, education and knowledge can also connect people”. He continued: “I am looking forward to our study at Tsinghua University.”
After the opening ceremony, Dr. Jinliang Li, Dean of the Office for International Cooperation and Exchange, Tsinghua University, gave the participants a presentation on the “Internationalization and Belt and Road Development” at Tsinghua. The students also went on a campus tour in the company of Tsinghua University volunteers.
The Media Program for B&R Countries was initiated in 2017. On the basis of the 2018 Media Cooperation Forum on the Belt & Road, the Center for Finance EMBA & Executive Education at Tsinghua PBCSF has joined hands with People's Daily to create the 2018 Media Program for Belt and Road Countries.
The Program opens mainly to executives of mainstream media in countries along the Belt and Road, who come to China to attend the Media Cooperation Forum as well as senior media professionals engaged in news reporting about the Belt & Road Initiative. The Program offers systematic interpretation to the Belt & Road Initiative through both in-class teaching and various other forms of activities, and promotes communication between different nations and cultures along the B&R routes, with a vision to exert lasting, positive impact on the cooperation among B&R countries in various sectors. The 2017 Media Program for B&R Countries saw 25 executives and senior reporters from mainstream media agencies of 14 Belt & Road countries joining the program, including Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Vietnam, Pakistan and Thailand.
