Distinguished guests, esteemed colleagues, and friends,
It is a great pleasure to join you virtually on behalf of UNESCO for the Third Global Forum on Mutual Learning Among Civilizations, and to celebrate the 120th anniversary of Southwest University.
I would like to warmly thank the organizers for their kind invitation, and to extend my sincere congratulations to Southwest University on this important milestone.
Over the course of more than a century, the University has made valuable contributions to education, research, and society, while nurturing generations of students and scholars.
I would also like to commend the Center for Chinese and Greek Civilizations for its efforts to promote dialogue, educational exchange, and deeper understanding between cultures.
By bringing together two rich intellectual traditions, the Center has created a meaningful platform for reflection and cooperation.
The theme of this year’s Forum, “Education and Civilizational Exchange: Pathways to Mutual Learning and Shared Development,” is both timely and significant.
Education is not only about transmitting knowledge. It is also about cultivating understanding, ethical reflection, and the ability to live together in dignity and peace. At a time of profound technological, environmental, and social change, this mission becomes even more important.
In a rapidly evolving world, including one shaped by artificial intelligence and new digital technologies, education must help learners not only to adapt, but also to think critically, engage responsibly, and appreciate the diversity of human experience. Innovation must therefore go hand in hand with inclusion, and progress with dialogue.
This is closely aligned with UNESCO’s mandate. We believe in education as a public good and a common good, and as a foundation for peace, international cooperation, and sustainable development.
Higher education institutions have a particularly important role to play in this regard: advancing knowledge, fostering academic mobility and exchange, and preparing young people to contribute to more just, inclusive, and connected societies.
In this spirit, the work of the Center for Chinese and Greek Civilizations is especially valuable. By linking civilizational heritage with contemporary questions, it reminds us that education can serve as a bridge across cultures, generations, and regions.
As we celebrate the 120th anniversary of Southwest University, this is also an occasion to look ahead. Universities are not only guardians of knowledge; they are also shapers of the future. Their responsibility is to equip young people with knowledge, values, and imagination to address shared global challenges.
UNESCO stands ready to continue working with partners to advance education that is inclusive, forward-looking, and rooted in mutual respect. In doing so, we strengthen the foundations for dialogue among cultures and for peace in our shared world.
Once again, I congratulate Southwest University on its 120th anniversary, and I wish the Forum every success.
Thank you.
