On April 9, Professor Jacques Frémont, President Emeritus of the University of Ottawa, led a delegation to the Songjiang Campus of Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). Yin Dongmei, Chair of the University Council, and Wang Xin, Vice President of SISU, received the guests.
Following the warm welcome extended by Yin to Professor Frémont and his delegation, the two sides exchanged views on the evolving landscape of global higher education, China–Canada cooperation in higher education, inter-university collaborative programs, and international student education. Both parties agreed that the steadily improving China–Canada relationship provides a solid foundation for strengthening faculty and student exchanges and expanding joint academic programs. They also expressed a shared commitment to delivering high-quality higher education for young people in both countries and advancing people-to-people exchanges between China and Canada.
Wang noted that since establishing their partnership in 2017, SISU and the University of Ottawa have continuously deepened collaboration in international relations. The two institutions signed an agreement in 2017 on a reciprocal dual master's degree program, under which several SISU students have studied at the University of Ottawa and successfully completed their degrees. She expressed hope that both sides would further expand cooperation, particularly in jointly developing programs in area studies, law, linguistics, and modern languages. She also welcomed more Canadian students to study and participate in exchange programs in China.
Professor Frémont spoke highly of SISU's strong academic foundation in the humanities and social sciences, as well as its proactive exploration of interdisciplinary fields. He observed that in the age of artificial intelligence, the humanities and social sciences face certain challenges, while emerging technologies are also generating new momentum for research in language sciences and opening up innovative approaches to teaching and research in these fields. He emphasized that China has always been a priority in the University of Ottawa's international cooperation strategy, adding that the university has long been committed to strengthening its engagement with China. He looked forward to expanding cooperation with SISU in political science, modern linguistics, French language and culture, and translation studies, aiming to cultivate high-caliber talent with bilingual proficiency and a global outlook.
During the visit, Professor Frémont and his delegation also toured the Museum of World Languages. Jiao Jie, Advisor on China Affairs at the University of Ottawa, accompanied the delegation. Representatives from the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, the School of International Relations and Public Affairs, the School of Law, the School of European and Latin American Studies, and other relevant departments attended the meeting.
