On Dec. 2, BJUT held a Summary-exchange Meeting for 2020 Virtual Overseas Faculty Training Program. The 2020 UMD-BJUT Online Professional Development Program on “Innovative Teaching and Higher Education Management in a Global Environment” kick-started on Oct. 19. The training includes 15 virtual special training sessions and conversations online with the University of Maryland (UMD), the U.S. and 2 face-to-face discussions from October 19 to November 11. A total of 43 faculty and stuff from different disciplines, professions, and managerial departments attended the training program.

At the Summary-exchange Meeting, the trainees presented their gains and inspirations in administration, student training, teaching and research, university governance, with a focus on the theme of “University Governance Reform under the Thinking of Engineering Innovation”. They also proactively offered ideas for university improvement.

President LIU Gonghui held a positive attitude toward the achievements of the virtual faculty training. In the closing speech, he pointed out that internationalization is one of the three development strategies of BJUT, in order to build a world-renowned high-level research university, among which an international faculty team is essential. Organizing virtual international teacher training emerges as a powerful action to broaden the faculty’s global perspectives.

Since 2002, nearly 430 faculty and stuff in 28 batches have visited Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom for on-the-spot training or attended virtual training. Although COVID-19 greatly curbs international travel and communication, the university still seeks to help teachers improve their ability in international communication through innovatively virtual teaching, GUO Fu, Vice President of BJUT said. In the years ahead, BJUT will continue to explore and improve the mode of international training for faculty and stuff.