From July 4 to 7, the Asian Science and Technology Pioneering Institutes of Research and Education（ASPIRE）2022 Forum was held online, with the theme of "Post Pandemic: Technologies for Sustainable Living". The forum was divided into three parts: ASPIRE Symposium, Vice Presidents and Senior Staff Meeting, and Student Workshop. Yang Bin, Vice President and Provost of Tsinghua University, attended the Vice Presidents and Senior Staff Meeting and delivered a speech. Zhu Xufeng, Executive Director of Tsinghua SDG Institute, attended the ASPIRE Symposium on behalf of Tsinghua University and delivered a speech on "Digital Technology and Employment Transformation in Developing Countries".
Online group photo of Vice Presidents of member universities
On July 6, the Vice Presidents and Senior Staff Meeting was held online. More than 20 people attended, including Yang Bin, Vice President and Provost of Tsinghua University, Che Ting Chan, Vice President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Tim White, Vice President of Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, Isao Satoh, Provost and Executive Vice President of Tokyo Institute of Technology, Man-sung Yim, Associate Vice President of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), and other staff representatives from member universities. The meeting was chaired by Man-sung Yim, the current President of ASPIRE League, Associate Vice President of KAIST. All vice presidents listened to the League’s secretariat for their report on annual activities and achievement last year. They discussed the international cooperative research projects and teaching innovation plans of the five universities, and reached a consensus on the forum organization, project cooperation, and other topics for the next year.
Keynote speech by Yang Bin
At the meeting, Yang Bin delivered a keynote speech. He pointed out that Tsinghua University is committed to providing scientific research and technological support to tackle global challenges and fullfilling the social responsibility and mission of higher education. In the area of core technologies, a team of academicians from Tsinghua University has developed the world's first HTR-PM experimental reactor after more than 30 years of scientific research, marking a breakthrough in China's basic research. A professor from School of Medicine at Tsinghua University has led the research and development of the first approved and marketed anti-coronavirus medicine, which has made an outstanding contribution to fight against COVID-19 pandemic. In the field of public health and climate environment, Tsinghua University officially established the Institute for Carbon Neutrality last year, which provides excellent talents and scientific researches for realizing China's "Dual-Carbon" goal and solving global climate problems.
Yang Bin said that although the pandemic has caused the physical distance of the global dialogues, it is more important to strengthen international cooperation and exchange to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Tsinghua University has always been active in initiating and participating in global dialogues and exchanges: in October 2021, Tsinghua University hosted the "Latin American and Caribbean Ambassadors Meet in Tsinghua" special event, which provided a platform for China-Latin America humanistic exchanges and cooperation; the successful organizing "the International AI Cooperation and Governance Forum 2021" effectively deepened global cooperation and promoted the building of an international governance mechanism for AI. In addition, Tsinghua University has combined its experience in online education in the pandemic period to launch Global Open Courses and Global Hybrid Classeroom, attracting the active participation of many students at domestic and abroad and opening a new mode of international cooperation in higher education. In the future, Tsinghua University is willing to work with the ASPIRE League members to carry out cooperation in broader and more diversified fields and contribute to the common welfare of mankind.
Zhu Xufeng presented at the ASPIRE Symposium
On July 5, the ASPIRE Symposium was held online with the participation of faculty representatives and students from member universities. Professor Zhu Xufeng, Executive Dean of School of Public Policy and Management of Tsinghua University, Executive Director of Tsinghua SDG Institute, and Director of Center for Science & Technology Development and Governance of Tsinghua University, attended the symposium and made a presentation on "Digital Technology and Employment Transformation in Developing Countries". He pointed out that the global pandemic has made everyone realize that the wide application of digital technology is increasingly changing our society and life. The emergence of digital technologies has always raised concerns about technological substitution for employment and digital inequity. But, from a historical perspective, technological advances have never resulted in large-scale unemployment, but have instead created new jobs, improved the working environment, and enhanced social well-being. Moreover, the rise of new digital technologies had contributed to the globalization of services and the growth of the gig economy. This has had new impacts on the global division of labor, outsourcing of labor, employment patterns between developed and developing countries, and has brought new challenges to social welfare systems. Therefore, international organizations and non-governmental organizations should assume greater responsibility for establishing international labor safety standards in the digital age; increasing investment on digital technology infrastructures in developing countries; establishing and implementing skills training for human resources development and re-employment; and providing social security to create a strong business and institutional environment for the prosperity of the digital economy.
Students' online workshop
On July 7, the student workshop comprised of students from member colleges and universities gave online group presentations. Yang Bin attended online and commented on the students' presentations . He said he was pleased to see students from different countries and regions working closely together and presenting creative ideas. It is expected that everyone can optimize and turn these ideas into reality soon. Finally, Yang Bin wished all the participating students to be inspired and gained from this forum.
The Asian Science and Technology Pioneering Institutes of Research and Education League (ASPIRE League) was established in July 2009 with the aim of contributing to the realization of sustainable development in the world by promoting scientific and technological advancement and human resource development and becoming a hub of innovation. The members are five universities including Tsinghua University, Tokyo Institute of Technology (TIT), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), with the League's secretariat permanently located at TIT.
