On December 8, 2025, theInauguration of Canal-city University Cooperation Mechanism & International Conference on Canal Culture and Sustainability, themed“Canals Through Ages, Wisdom Across Pages”was grandly held in Yangzhou.

Representatives from 23 universities, international organizations, enterprises, and renowned scholars from ten countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America jointly witnessed the establishment of the mechanism, both online and offline.

At the inauguration ceremony, Yan Yanchun, Vice PresidentofXINHUA News Agency, China, emphasized that the mechanism would serve as a“new highland”for deepening mutual learning among civilizations, a“source of innovation”for advancing scientific and technological progress, and an“incubator”for cultivating a new generation. Zheng Haitao, Mayor of Yangzhou, highlighted the need to systematically study the outstanding characteristics and contemporary significance of Chinese civilization as embodied by the Grand Canal, promote the application of research outcomes, and build a modern model of harmonious human-water interaction and city-canal coexistence. Ding Jianning, Secretary of theCPCYangzhou UniversityCommittee, stated that as a founding member and the permanentSecretariat of themechanism, the university is committed to making it a benchmark and model for global higher education cooperation.

The conferencereleasedthe “Canal-city University Cooperation Mechanism 2026-2030 Yangzhou Action Plan”, symbolizing the members’solemn consensus on the mechanism’s future vision. Concurrently, the“Youth Ambassadors for Canal Culture Communication”initiative was launched, and a ceremony was held to award plaques to partner institutions.

The event also featured the“Canal Insights”thematicseminar, which delved into three key topics:“Canal Civilization, University Mission — Jointly Shaping a New Paradigm for Educational Dialogue”,“Technology Empowerment, Ecology Leadership — Pioneering New Pathways for Basin Sustainability”and“Knowledge Canal, Collaborative Symbiosis — Building a New Industry-Education Integration Ecosystem”.During the closed-door meeting of the mechanism, member institutions reviewed and adopted its charter and elected Nanjing University as the first Chinese rotating chair and the New Cairo Technological University as the first foreign rotating chair.

Initiated jointly by Yangzhou University, Nanjing University, Renmin University of China, the Ocean University of China, and the World Canal Cities Cooperation Organization, the mechanism adheres to the principles of“extensiveconsultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits.”It aims to explore the establishment of an integrated platform for education, science, technology, and talent collaboration among canal cities worldwide, contributing enduring and profound academic strength and innovative solutions to the protection and inheritance of global canal culture and regional sustainable development.

For more: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/PvVANPnngZgIuu8j58NJ9Q