Erhen Bayar, vice president IMU, briefs the audience on his university at the founding conference for the Alliance of China-Mongolia Universities on Oct 21. [Photo/imu.edu.cn]

A delegation from Inner Mongolia University recently witnessed the founding conference for the Alliance of China-Mongolia Universities -- an important accord between Chinese universities and those from the neighboring country -- according to IMU officials.

The founding of the alliance took place at Northeast Normal University in Changchun in northeastern Jilin province on Oct 21.

The establishment of the alliance was jointly initiated by Northeast Normal University and the Mongolian State University of Education.

Officials said the members of the alliance included IMU and five Mongolian universities.

As a member of the alliance, Erhen Bayar, the vice-president of IMU – the leading university in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region -- briefed attendees on his school at the launch ceremony and talked about IMU’s history of exchanges and cooperation with universities and research institutions in the neighboring country of Mongolia.

At the first working conference of the alliance, the IMU vice president participated in the deliberation of alliance’s constitution and discussed its working plan.

In addition, during the following talks, the IMU delegation communicated with the five Mongolian universities individually.

It discussed renewing cooperation agreements, Mongolian language training and the establishment of a Confucius Institute in Mongolia. It also discussed exchanges and communications of students and teachers, exchanges of interns, project research and other topics -- and other areas of possible cooperation.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mongolia.

Officials said the establishment of the alliance between China and Mongolia universities will help create an important platform for cooperation between China and Mongolia in higher education.

They added that it would promote exchanges and scientific research in education between the two sides, promote the mutual common development of their culture and education and better serve China's Belt and Road Initiative and Mongolia's "Development Road" plan.