The Inauguration Ceremony of the University Consortium of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and University Presidents’ Forum was held at Xiamen University on October 20, 2018. Officials from the Ministry of Education and the Education Department of Fujian Province, and over 100 representatives from more than 60 universities in China, Thailand, Japan, other countries and regions, attended the event. Wang Shuxin, Vice President of Tianjin University (TJU), attended the ceremony and gave a keynote speech. 

At the inauguration ceremony, Xiamen University issued the Xiamen Declaration which was witnessed by Zhu Zhiwen, Vice Minister of Education, Lin Heping, Director of the Education Department of Fujian Province, representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat, and other organizations. The University Consortium was then formally established. Afterwards, the participants exchanged views on many topics such as innovative entrepreneurship education, collaboration among enterprises, universities and research institutions, the reform, renovation and internationalization of universities, and thoughts and reflections on building first-class universities. 

At the forum, Wang’s speech, Reflections and Practical Experience on Building World-class Universities analyzed the essential features and background of developing world-class universities, and the relationship between university rankings and building world-class universities. He briefly summarized the contribution China has provided in the process of building world-class universities. Taking Tianjin University as an example, he illustrated how TJU promoted its world-class university and world-class discipline construction through new engineering construction, the improvement of teachers’ international standing, and international cooperation enhancement. Wang hoped that the platform of "the University Consortium of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road" will promote TJU’s cooperation with universities in other counties and regions in respect of talent training, scientific research cooperation, and policy research.  He also hoped that the platform will make a contribution to the development of countries and regions by facilitating the building of world-class universities.  

"The University Consortium of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road" was initiated and founded by Xiamen University and another forty universities from the countries and regions along the "Maritime Silk Road" and aimed at implementing the Belt and Road Initiative by building international cooperation and a communication platform for higher education. Tianjin University is one of the founders and permanent members of the consortium.