The inaugural meeting of the South and Southeast Asian University Network, also the 2nd South and Southeast Asian University Presidents Forum, was held at the Kunming-based Yunnan University on December 10-11.

More than 200 dignitaries attended the meeting, including presidents and university representatives from 87 South and Southeast Asian universities and prestigious Chinese universities, as well as officials with the South and Southeast Asian diplomatic missions in Kunming.

The meeting announced the network secretariat is established in Yunnan University, with a Kunming declaration read.

The South and Southeast Asian University Network aims to carry out cooperation in talent training, scientific research, social services and people-to-people exchanges between South and Southeast Asian universities and Chinese universities, according to the consensus reached at the 1st South and Southeast Asian University Presidents Forum on November 26, 2017. 

Embracing the philosophy of shared benefits and win-win results through consultation and collaboration, the university network now has a total of 103 members.

Representatives of the founding members of the university network also planted the network trees and set up a network stone at the Chenggong campus of Yunnan University following the inaugural meeting.

Reporting by Wang Huan; trans-editing by Wang Shixue