On Sept. 20, the 2025 China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Industrial-Academic-Research Collaboration Conference, supported by the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Department of Science and Technology of Jiangsu Province, and hosted by the China-CEEC Technology Transfer Center (Jiangsu Center for International Science and Technology Exchange) was held in Nanjing. Vice Governor of the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government Zhao Yan attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. Secretary of the CPC Jiangsu University (JSU) Committee Li Hongbo was invited to attend the conference and participated in a signing ceremony.

On the opening ceremony, Secretary Li Hongbo, on behalf of JSU, signed a cooperation agreement with the University of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Zhenjiang Liuhengji Food Co., Ltd. During the conference, Secretary Li Hongbo accepted interviews to media outlets including Xinhua Daily and Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation. He elaborated on the JSU's achievements in collaboration with Central and Eastern European countries from three perspectives: deepening academic and scientific cooperation, implementing technology transfer and services, and expanding cultural exchanges and cooperation. He also shared JSU's insights on participating in the collaboration from the angles of strategic alignment as the key, leveraging strengths to seek breakthroughs, and demonstrating effectiveness through dual drivers. He stated that JSU would actively respond to the conference's consensus and outcomes, promote the implementation of specific projects, and contribute "JSU's wisdom" to China-CEEC cooperation.

JSU also co-organized a specialized release and exchange session on smart manufacturing, and facilitated the participation of foreign experts from our partner universities in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in an innovation project roadshow.

In recent years, actively responding to the national Belt and Road Initiative and the directives of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee and Government, JSU has engaged in comprehensive and substantive cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries. JSU has established partnerships with universities in 12 CEEC nations, signed memorandums of understanding with 16 institutions, jointly founded two international joint laboratories, and established a Confucius Institute in collaboration with the University of Niš. These initiatives underscore the university's commitment to serving the national diplomatic strategy.

The conference was held under the theme "Open Innovation and Shared Opportunities." It brought together a delegation of 20 representatives from 17 institutions across Central and Eastern European countries—including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, North Macedonia, and Serbia—alongside more than 160 participants from nearly 120 institutions within and outside Jiangsu Province. Faculty representatives from International Office and School of Food and Biological Engineering of JSU attended the conference.

(Source: International Office)