On April 1st, the Presidents' Sub-Forum of the 2023 High-Level Forum on the Construction of a Marine Community of Shared Destiny took place in Beijing, themed Gathering the Scientific and Technological Strength of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering to Build a Marine Community of Shared Destiny. Representatives and university presidents from 22 domestic and international institutions in the naval and oceanic fields participated. Discussions focused on the construction of the Marine Community of Shared Destiny and sustainable development in marine equipment technology, collaborating to address maritime challenges, enhance maritime interconnectivity, and engage in practical cooperation across various fields, contributing to sustainable marine development.
Anna Barney, the Assistant to the President of the University of Southampton, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, and First Executive Vice Dean of the Harbin Engineering University Southampton Ocean Engineering Joint Institute, delivered a keynote speech titled The Future of Engineering Students. Other institutions that presented at the forum included Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji University, Sun Yat-sen University, Xiamen University, South China University of Technology, Ocean University of China, Harbin Engineering University, Wuhan University of Technology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Dalian Maritime University, Hohai University, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Zhejiang Ocean University, University of Macau, University of Lisbon in Portugal, Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, Bahria University in Pakistan, COMSATS University Islamabad in Pakistan, and Kasetsart University in Thailand.
During the meeting, Anna Barney highlighted that the Southampton Ocean Engineering Joint Institute prioritizes the deep-sea sector and aligns closely with industry talent demands. By leveraging the strengths of both Harbin Engineering University and the University of Southampton, the institute adopts a multidisciplinary approach that integrates education and research with in-depth engineering studies. It systematically develops project-based teaching curricula to establish an open, collaborative model for training mechanical engineering talent that spans the entire undergraduate journey and blends curricular and extracurricular elements. Under the Smart Ocean comprehensive strategic partnership, the institute trains naval architects and ocean engineers who are equipped for the international maritime industry and marine engineering, further supporting the construction and development of the Marine Community of Shared Destiny.