On August 26, a high-level delegation from Malaysia visited Yunnan University of Finance and Economics (YUFE) to discuss deepening educational and cultural cooperation. The delegation was led by Mohammed Akmal, Consul General of Malaysia in Kunming, and included Li Yuliang, President of the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce in Kunming; Professor Najib, Chairman of the National Culture Council of Malaysia; and Zhong Yu, Director of the Chung Cheng-Sun Art Gallery (Malaysia) and a visiting professor at YUFE.

YUFE leaders, including Party Secretary Chen Hong, President Wang Min, and Vice President Yan Ming, hosted the delegation for a symposium on the theme of "Sino-Malaysian Education and Cultural Cooperation and Exchange."

Prior to the formal meeting, Party Secretary Chen Hong welcomed Consul General Mohammed Akmal and his delegation. He also engaged in a friendly discussion with Mr. Li Yuliang, reflecting on the rich history of exchange between the two nations, from the voyages of Zheng He to the contributions of the Nanyang Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics, and exploring future directions and visions for cooperation.

"Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, as a key institution of higher learning in Yunnan, has long made positive contributions to promoting Malaysia-China educational and cultural exchange," said Consul General Mohammed Akmal in his address. He expressed gratitude for the warm reception and stated that Malaysia places great importance on its educational partnership with YUFE. He looks forward to seeing more substantive progress in areas such as faculty and student exchanges, joint research, digital education cooperation, and cultural heritage protection. He specifically praised the significant impact of YUFE's Chung Cheng-Sun Art Gallery in promoting cultural and artistic exchange and highlighted the great value of the "China-Malaysia Intangible Cultural Heritage Exchange Center," which was jointly established in June. He affirmed Malaysia's support for collaboration between university think tanks and for promoting two-way student mobility to cultivate more professionals who understand both cultures, thereby providing talent support for building a China-Malaysia community with a shared future.

President Wang Min delivered a welcoming speech on behalf of the university, recalling the long-standing friendly relations between China and Malaysia. He noted that YUFE, as the only finance- and economics-focused provincial key university in Yunnan, has developed a comprehensive, multi-level talent cultivation system and achieved remarkable results in internationalization, including establishing the province's first overseas program, the YUFE Bangkok Business School, and being designated as a "Training Base for International Business Officials by the Ministry of Commerce."

President Wang stated that YUFE will actively support the initiative to build a "China-Malaysia Community with a Shared Future." He proposed several areas for future collaboration:

• A cultural and arts exchange platform, leveraging the Chung Cheng-Sun Art Gallery to build a leading brand in China-Malaysia intangible cultural heritage research.

• An information technology cooperation platform, expanding on the successful collaborations with Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT).

• An economic management collaboration platform, for joint research related to the Belt and Road Initiative.

• An innovative educational cooperation platform, integrating resources from Malaysian universities to jointly cultivate high-level talent.

Mr. Li Yuliang presented the development plan for the China-Malaysia Intangible Cultural Heritage Exchange Center, stating that it will focus on joint protection, academic research, and talent cultivation related to the intangible cultural heritage of both nations.Yuan Hong, Director of the YUFE Chung Cheng-Sun Art Gallery, and Ms. Zhong Yu provided an overview of the practical outcomes of China-Malaysia cultural and artistic exchange at YUFE. Since its opening in 2011, the gallery has hosted 137 exhibitions, including 32 international ones, and receives 14,000 visitors annually.




Yu Yimin, Dean of YUFE's Information School (Institute of Intelligent Applications), outlined the school's successful collaborations with Malaysian institutions such as the University of Technology Sarawak and TAR UMT in fields like cross-border trade blockchain and high-trust digital infrastructure.

The symposium was moderated by Yu Yong, Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Office and Dean of the School of Overseas Education. Faculty representatives from YUFE's School of Communication and Design Art and Information School also attended the meeting.