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The 13th Japan-China University Presidents' Forum was held at Rihga Royal Hotel Hiroshima on November 28 and 29, 2023.
Approximately 160 participants, including presidents and vice presidents of 37 universities from Japan and China, as well as officials from the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Japan (Chinese Embassy), the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and other related organizations took part in this forum and discussed the promotion of academic and student exchange between the two countries and new ways of conducting university education and research.

This conference is held every two years, alternating in each country, with the University of Tokyo and Peking University as the coordinating universities. This year was the first time in four years that the forum was held in person, and Â鶹AV (HU) served as the host university.
The plenary session on the 29th was opened by President Mitsuo Ochi of HU. President Ochi stated, "As the environment surrounding the international community is changing drastically, discussions on common issues and cooperation between universities in both countries are of great significance. I hope that this conference will provide an opportunity to further develop exchanges between Japan and China.¡±

Following the opening remarks by President Teruo Fujii of the University of Tokyo, the coordinating university of Japan, and President Gong Qihuang of Peking University, the coordinating university of China, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Wu Jianghao of the Chinese Embassy and Mr. Masaaki Nishijo, Deputy Director-General of the Higher Education Bureau of MEXT, delivered remarks as honored guests.
In the keynote speech, President Ochi made an address under the theme of this forum, "Diversity and Integration - Human Resources and Higher Education in the Coming Era." President Ochi also had individual meetings with Chinese universities.

Following a keynote speech by President Gao of Sun Yat-sen University in China, 16 universities of both countries introduced their respective initiatives and had a lively exchange of views in two sessions (Topic 1: Utilization of ICT in New University Education in the Post-COVID Era, Topic 2: Challenges for Climate Change and Global Issues). In between sessions, more than 40 individual meetings between Japanese and Chinese universities were held at a different venue, and handshakes were exchanged here and there with promises of a reunion.

At the welcome reception held on the 28th prior to the plenary session on the 29th, alumnus and erhu (2-stringed Chinese instrument) player Ms. Jiang Xiaoyan and her music school¡¯s students performed songs of both China and Japan.

The next forum, the 14th, will be held in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in 2025, hosted by Huazhong University of Science and Technology.