The Alliance of Guangzhou International Friendship City Universities (GISU) 2020 Council Meeting kicked off at Guangzhou University on Dec 2, gathering representatives from the 11 alliance member universities, as well as from new applicant universities to the alliance online.

Wei Minghai, president of Guangzhou University and executive chairman of the alliance, noted that the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused great impact to the whole world, yet all alliance member universities have gradually adapted to the regular epidemic prevention and control measures, taking a more active role in scientific innovation and serving local socio-economic sustainable development. 

Wei said that higher education institutions should further serve national strategies and better meet the demands from the public in sustainable development in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.

Two universities were approved to join the alliance during the meeting, namely National Technical University of Ukraine and Durban University of Technology, increasing the number of alliance member from 11 to 13.

The final of the GISU 2020 Urban Innovation and Entrepreneurship Final Competition was held in Guangzhou University on Dec 1. The competition, which lasted for more than four months, was expected to further push forward communication and exchanges between youth from Guangzhou and its Friendship Cities. The delegation from the University of Tampere in Finland won the competition.

Barney Glover, president of Western Sydney University, was selected as the executive chairman of the alliance in 2021 and the university will host the annual meeting of the alliance in 2021.

The Alliance of GISU was launched by Guangzhou University in 2018, aiming to become a communication platform for international higher education, as well as a platform for cooperation, communication, and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.