On October 24, the opening ceremony for the first cohort of the International Master’s Program in Metallurgical Engineering was held in the Jianlong Lecture Hall at the university. Attendees included Manti M. Firdausi, Assistant Deputy Minister for Maritime and Transportation Industry at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment of Indonesia; Dwi Larso, Director of the Scholarship Department of the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education, and Ayom Widipaminto, Director of its Research Department; Dadang Ramadhan, Executive Vice President of Bank Mandiri; Ye Changqing, Vice President of Yongqing Group; Vice President Lü Zhaoping; Zhang Jianliang, Dean of the School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering; and heads of relevant units. Li Baoming, Director of the International Student Center, presided over the opening ceremony.

Lü Zhaoping delivers remarks

Lü Zhaoping congratulated the new students who are about to begin their study life at USTB. He introduced the university's history and current development, especially the fact that in recent years the university has attached great importance to cross-national cooperation with Indonesia and has achieved a series of project outcomes. He stated that the International Master's Program in Metallurgical Engineering, jointly initiated by the university, the Indonesian government, and Yongqing Group, is an important breakthrough in the university's international student education in China and international cooperation and exchanges, and is an important project in which the university has for the first time obtained large-scale funding from a foreign government. It is of great significance for the university to expand its space for social service, optimize international talent cultivation, and accelerate the improvement of its internationalization level. He pointed out that students in the program should cherish the hard-won learning opportunity and strive to become international young talents with solid professional competence and the ability for international competition and cooperation.

Manti M. Firdausi delivers remarks

Manti M. Firdausi pointed out that in order to build an industrial ecosystem based on mining materials, Indonesia needs a group of professionally skilled talents with higher education, especially in metallurgical engineering, so as to maintain its sustainable development. He said that he was very honored to cooperate with the university and to lead the first cohort of students in the Master’s Program in Metallurgical Engineering as they begin their studies, and expressed the hope that all students will successfully complete their studies and apply what they have learned in their future work.

Dwi Larso delivers remarks

Dwi Larso stated that, starting with the master's program with the university, efforts will be further expanded to doctoral training, and exchanges and cooperation between the university and Indonesian universities will be promoted. The Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education will continue to support Indonesian students in studying in China.

Ye Changqing delivers remarks

Ye Changqing stated that education is a bridge connecting different cultures and countries and a cornerstone for promoting peace and development. As a higher education institution renowned both at home and abroad, the University of Science and Technology Beijing has always been committed to cultivating outstanding talents with an international perspective. The generous support from the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment of Indonesia and the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education not only reflects their emphasis on education but also represents a firm commitment to future friendly cooperation between the two countries. He encouraged the new students in the program to study hard, continuously improve their professional competence and comprehensive abilities, gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and society, and become outstanding talents with an international perspective and cross-cultural communication skills.

Zhang Jianliang delivers remarks

Zhang Jianliang stated that the Master’s Program in Metallurgical Engineering is one of the important measures taken by the School to actively respond to the country’s Belt and Road Initiative and deepen international cooperation. Through this program, more outstanding foreign students will be attracted to come to China and to USTB to study and make progress together. He pointed out that the program will integrate the School’s highest-quality educational resources and adopt internationalized teaching models and curriculum systems to provide students with comprehensive, systematic, and in-depth opportunities for learning professional knowledge in metallurgical engineering and for practical training. At the same time, it will also build a rich platform for cultural exchange to help students gain an in-depth understanding of Chinese culture and social conditions and enhance mutual understanding and friendship.

Group photo of all participants

Since 2023, the university has conducted comprehensive, multiple rounds of discussions and exchanges with various group companies under the Tsingshan Board of Directors on cooperation in international talent cultivation and other areas. In March 2024, USTB President Yang Renshu led a delegation to Indonesia, where they visited the Yongqing Group’s Morowali Industrial Park, held in-depth and extensive discussions, and signed the first university-enterprise cooperation memorandum between the two sides. Subsequently, through a series of exchanges and visits, the three parties further expanded the space for cooperation and broadened the prospects for future development. In August this year, the signing of the Agreement on the Joint Cultivation of Master’s Students in Metallurgical Engineering Scholarship Program by the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment of the Republic of Indonesia, the University of Science and Technology Beijing, and PT Indonesia Yongqing Co., Ltd. marked a new milestone in the university’s international cooperation with Indonesia.

On-site visit

After the ceremony, the group visited the University History Museum, the Exhibition Room of the Important Reply Letter, and the laboratories of the School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, and received relevant briefings.