Peking University, Nov 9, 2015: The Opening Ceremony of Beijing Forum 2015 was held in Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on Nov 6, 2015. Initiated in 2004, Beijing Forum sees its twelfth anniversary this year. Organized by Peking University, Beijing Municipal Commission of Education and Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, and with contributions from Tony Blair Faith Foundation, University of Cambridge and Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing Forum 2015 invited over 300 noted scholars and well-known politicians and economists for the international academic exchange.
Professor Zhu Shanlu, chairman of Peking University Council, presided over the opening ceremony. He accorded a sincere welcome to all the distinguished guests. Looking back the past eleven years, Zhu expressed gratitude to the support from Chinese government and different sectors of society. “Beijing Forum is now twelve years old, and it is time for it to step off its childhood and grow up to its youth.” As its growth, Beijing Forum 2015 will endeavor to promote academic development and social progress across the world in order to contribute to the harmony of civilizations and prosperity of humankind.
Professor Zhu Shanlu, chairman of PKU Council
Beijing Forum 2015 receives great support from Chinese government and the United Nations. Du Zhanyuan, vice minister of education of China, delivered a brief speech about the importance of cultural exchange in promoting civilization progress and world peace. S. Iqbal Riza, special advisor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, read out the congratulatory letter from H.E. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations and addressed his own speech. He also brought the video message from H.E. Ban Ki-moon, in which the UN General-Secretary highly appraised Beijing Forum’s contribution to the development of social progress and human prosperity.
Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Corporation, gave his speech. He pointed out the complicated circumstances of the globe, which bring about new challenges and threats we are facing. “What we need to rewrite the prosperity of Asia is through social innovation. And social enterprise is the key solution to improve a better way of living and make society happier,” Mr. Chey emphasized, “but we are still in practice and there is no final solution yet.”
PKU President Lin Jianhua
At the end of the opening ceremony, PKU President Lin Jianhua acknowledged the participants and supporters of Beijing Forum and wished it a great success. After that, Lakhdar Brahimi, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, former Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and League of Arab States for Syria, addressed a special speech. He highly praised President Xi’s speech in claiming equal partnership and mutual understanding in order to abandon the historical problems left by the Second World War and Cold War. He also said that we need to accept the differences and unique contributions of all civilizations, enhancing international cooperation of a better world in the future.
Beijing Forum 2015 is scheduled to be held from November 6 to 8, 2015 in Beijing, with the theme of “The Harmony of Civilizations and Prosperity for All—Different Paths with Common Responsibilities," including five panel sessions, two special panel sessions and a student panel session.
Reported by: Wang Yue
Edited by: Li Ruiqi
Picture Source: PKU News (Chinese)
