根特大学东亚平台20周年：庆祝学术合作 - 20 years UGent East Asia Platform: celebrating academic cooperation

东亚平台20周年

20 years East Asia Platform

9月11日，比利时驻华大使馆举办招待会，庆祝根特大学东亚平台成立二十周年。来自多个机构的150余名教授、研究人员和校友齐聚一堂，共同庆祝根特大学与中国合作院校二十年来卓有成效的学术合作。

On 11 September, the Embassy of Belgium in Beijing hosted a reception to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the UGent East Asia Platform. More than 150 professors, researchers, and alumni gathered to mark two decades of successful academic cooperation between Ghent University and its Chinese partner universities.

东亚平台前身为2006年成立的“中国平台”，负责协调根特大学与中国及其他东亚国家合作院校之间的交流与合作。平台致力于推动科研与教育合作，并促进人员交流和民心相通，而这些也正是比利时驻华大使馆高度重视的领域。

Originally established in 2006 as the China Platform, the East Asia Platform coordinates Ghent University's cooperation with partner universities in China and other East Asian countries. It aims to strengthen scientific and educational collaboration, as well as people-to-people exchanges, which are highly valued by the Embassy of Belgium in Beijing.

在东亚平台的积极推动下，过去二十年来，根特大学与中国合作伙伴之间的交流不断深化和拓展。如今，每个学年都有超过1000名中国学生和研究人员在根特大学学习和工作。同时，每年也有众多根特大学本科生和硕士生前往中国高校开展交流学习。

Thanks to the efforts of the East Asia Platform, exchanges between Ghent University and its Chinese partners have expanded significantly over the past twenty years. Today, more than 1,000 Chinese students and researchers study and work at Ghent University each academic year. In addition, many Ghent University bachelor's and master's students pursue study opportunities at Chinese universities annually.

招待会由自2015年以来一直担任东亚平台驻北京代表的张弛先生主持。比利时驻华大使馆公使衔参赞姚婷娜女士（Ms. Tine Jacobs）在致辞中对各位来宾表示热烈欢迎，并高度赞扬东亚平台在促进中比两国交流、搭建合作桥梁方面发挥的重要作用。

The reception was hosted by Mr. Zhang Chi, who has served as the East Asia Platform's local representative in Beijing since 2015. In her remarks, Ms. Tine Jacobs, Minister-Counselor at the Embassy of Belgium in Beijing, warmly welcomed the distinguished guests and praised the East Asia Platform for its important role in building bridges between Belgium and China.

东亚平台主席卢克·塔尔韦教授（Prof. Luc Taerwe）回顾了平台二十年来的重要里程碑和丰硕成果。来自合作院校的代表以及根特大学水产养殖学荣休教授帕特里克·索格罗斯教授（Prof. Patrick Sorgeloos，见图）分别介绍了根特大学与中国高校开展合作所取得的丰硕成果。索格罗斯教授与中国科研人员的合作已持续四十余年。根特大学北京校友会代表也介绍了校友会的发展情况，以及其在凝聚校友力量、加强校友与母校联系方面发挥的重要作用。

The President of the East Asia Platform, Prof. Luc Taerwe, reflected on the platform's key milestones and achievements over the past twenty years. Representatives from various partner institutions, as well as Prof. Patrick Sorgeloos of Ghent University (photo), who has collaborated with Chinese researchers for more than four decades, highlighted the fruitful partnerships that Ghent University has developed with Chinese universities. A representative of the Beijing Chapter of the Ghent University Alumni Association also presented the chapter's activities and its role in bringing together alumni and strengthening their ties with their alma mater.

姚婷娜女士和卢克·塔尔韦教授向多位研究人员颁发荣誉证书，以表彰他们在促进根特大学与中国科研机构和高校之间学术交流与合作方面作出的突出贡献。根特大学和天津科技大学也对比利时驻华大使馆长期以来支持双方学术合作表示诚挚感谢。

Ms. Tine Jacobs and Prof. Luc Taerwe presented honorary certificates to several researchers in recognition of their outstanding contributions to academic exchange and cooperation between Ghent University and Chinese institutions. Ghent University and Tianjin University of Science and Technology also expressed their appreciation to the Embassy of Belgium in Beijing for its continued support of academic cooperation.

比利时驻华大使馆谨向东亚平台二十年来取得的卓越成就表示热烈祝贺，并将继续支持东亚平台推动比利时与中国之间的学术和科研交流合作！

The Embassy of Belgium in Beijing would like to congratulate the East Asia Platform for twenty years of excellent work and will continue to support the East Asia Platform in promoting academic and scientific exchange between Belgium and China!