Chinese Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng led a delegation to attend the 42nd Session of the UNESCO General Conference and made a visit to France on Nov. 7-12 (Paris time).

During the General Conference, Huai met with Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay. They discussed a variety of topics, such as implementing the outcomes of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting with Director-General Azoulay earlier this year and advancing cooperation in supporting “Africa First”, digital education, culture, artificial intelligence, open science and more areas, and reached consensus on multiple issues.

While in France, Huai held a meeting with the French Minister of Higher Education and Research Sylvie Retailleau. The two sides exchanged views and reached agreements on establishing a ministerial-level education dialogue mechanism, promoting balanced student mobility, enhancing high-level talent training, and initiating the Sino-French Education Development Forum. Huai visited the French National Institute of Advanced Scientific Studies (IHÉS) and CentraleSupélec (CS) and met with representatives of Chinese students studying in France.

Huai also engaged in talks with education ministers from African countries at a group meeting, and met with education ministers of Sri Lanka, Cape Verde, Lebanon, Antigua and Barbuda, and Gabon, as well as the head of the US delegation, respectively.