The World Women University Presidents Forum (WWUPF) was launched by Communication University of China (originally Beijing Broadcast Institute) in August 2001, aiming to pool the strength of women university presidents all over the world and to create an international platform for them to communicate and collaborate, and to share new ideas and thoughts in the fields of higher education development and women leadership promotion.
Until 2018, WWUPF has successfully held EIGHT main forums, and during the interval, TEN sub-forums are held around the world. In the nearly past 20 years, the Forum has gathered more than 1,300 women university presidents. Their valuable ideas toward the development of higher education have highlighted the leading role of the women university presidents, making the Forum a most influential brand in the international higher education community.
WWUPF have received special care from China's top state leaders. The then Vice-Chairpersons of the National People's Congress Ms. Peng Peiyun, Ms. Gu Xiulian, Ms. Chen Zhili, and Ms. Shen Yueyue have attended the forums and delivered speeches. At the opening ceremony of the 6th WWUPF, Ms. Shen Yueyue, Vice-Chairperson of the 12th Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, President of the All-China Women Federation, Ms. Chen Zhili, Vice-Chairperson of the 11th Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, President of the 10th All-China Women Federation, and Ms. Lin Wenyi, the Vice-Chairperson of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, jointly unveiled the Women Leadership Academy.
WWUPF has also received significant attention from the UNESCO. At the 6th Forum, both Ms. Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Women, and Ms. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, sent their congratulating videos to address the opening ceremony. In 2015, Ms. Irina Bokova signed a cooperation agreement with the Women Leadership Academy in support of WWUPF. In 2018, Ms. Irina Bokova, former UNESCO Director-General, and Ms. Saniye Gülser Corat, Director of UNESCO Division for Gender Equality, both delivered speeches at the opening ceremony of the 8th Forum.
WWUPF has been widely reported, making the voices of the women presidents heard worldwide. Mainstream media both at home and abroad, such as China National Radio, China Radio International, China Central Television, China Education Television, Phoenix Satellite TV, People's Daily, China Education News, and Xinhuanet have broadcast live TV, webcast or news reports on the forum.
The 9th WWUPF, co-hosted by the Organizing Committee of the World Women University Presidents Forum/Women Leadership Academy, Xi'an Technological University, and Communication University of China, was initially scheduled to be held in Xi’an from April 18 to 20, 2020, with the theme "Global Governance · Mutual Learning Among Civilizations · University Innovation". Before the COVID-19 outbreak in the middle of January 2020, almost all the preparation work had been ready. The Forum had received applications from 99 women senior educational leaders, scholars, and experts from 59 countries and China's Hong Kong and Taiwan areas, and 67 from mainland China. Ms. Chen Zhili, Vice-Chairperson of the 11th National People's Congress, President of the 10th All-China Women Federation, and Ms. Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO, had agreed to deliver a speech at the 9th Forum. After the COVID-19 outbreak, to safeguard the health and safety of all the participants and to meet the needs of epidemic prevention and control, the Organizing Committee of the World Women University Presidents Forum and other co-hosts decided to cancel the April meeting.
In view of the development trend of the epidemic situation at home and abroad, the Organizing Committee of the World Women University Presidents Forum and the organizers agreed in July 2020 to restart the application and preparations for the 9th Forum. It is scheduled to be held on November 6-7, 2020 at Xi'an Technological University in a combination of online and offline ways. The theme of the forum was adjusted to "Global Empathy, Mutual Learning Among Civilizations, University Innovation". All foreign guests, and guests from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan will use the online platform to participate in the conference, and domestic guests will attend the conference in Xi'an. Up to now, a total of nearly 200 women university presidents, experts and scholars, and leaders from the education and women circles from 64 countries and regions have signed up to participate.
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