Leaders from Ecuadorian Universities Visited ECUST to Strengthen South-South Education Cooperation

Recently, a delegation of universities from Ecuador visited ECUST. The delegation consisted of 28 leaders from 21 Ecuadorian institutions, including Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), as well as representatives from the Ecuadorian Corporation for the Development of Research and Academia (CEDIA). Prof. Weihong Zhu, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Vice President of ECUST, attended the exchange event. Yongsheng Li, Director of the International Cooperation and Communication Office, and Xiaopeng Li, Dean of the School of International Education of ECUST, also participated in the meeting.

Weihong Zhu welcomed the delegation and introduced the progress made by ECUST in discipline construction, scientific innovation, and international education. He noted that China and Latin American countries are key members of the Global South, adding that deepening educational cooperation is a practical step toward building a China-Latin America community with a shared future while serving South-South cooperation. 

Zhu expressed ECUST’s willingness to carry out joint student training, faculty exchange visits, and collaborative research with Ecuadorian universities in fields such as engineering, information science, and business studies.

Cecilia Alexandra Paredes Verduga, Rector of Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), spoke on behalf of the Ecuadorian delegation. She thanked ECUST for the warm reception and expressed the active willingness of Ecuadorian universities to engage in pragmatic cooperation with China. 

Xiaopeng Li delivered a special presentation on signature international programs provided by ECUST, including the Joint Multi-Degree (JMD) program and the Advanced Innovative Talents (AIT) workshop. Following the meeting, the delegation visited the Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center. 

This visit represents one of the largest and highest-level groups from Ecuadorian universities to visit China in recent years. Both parties reached a preliminary consensus on signing inter-university Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and establishing regular communication mechanisms, providing new momentum for China-Latin America higher education cooperation.