About the East Asia Platform

Mission and objectives

The East Asia Platform will act as university-wide point of contact and coordination desk for all matters related to collaboration with partners in the specific region. It will coordinate, facilitate and support cooperation initiatives in the field of education, research, technology and innovation in this specific region. It will support Ghent University in strengthening its service to society and further developing its strategic choices.

Acting as a central point of contact, the East Asia Platform will:

• Act as center of expertise
• Boost academic collaboration and the two-way mobility of students, researchers and academic staff
• Formulate advise on specific matters related to Ghent University’s Internationalisation Policy
• Support the establishment of partnerships and offer tailor-made services to stimulate a perfect match-making of partners
• Maintain and strengthen its valuable network
• Form a bridge to the non-academic and international partners and organisations
• Strengthen Ghent University’s visibility and reputation in the specific region
• Foster Ghent University’s International Alumni Network in the specific region

Beijing Representative Office

In 2008, Ghent University – in cooperation with the province of East Flanders – established a joint representative office in Beijing.

A local presence improves the visibility in China and the wider region and enables a more efficient way of communicating with our partners. The local representative facilitates and assists in incoming and outgoing mobility, provides assistance in prospective trips and visits, maintains a large network, is responsible for the dissemination of useful information and works closely together with the Ghent University Alumni Chapters in the region. Mr. Zhang Chi was appointed as the local representative in February 2015 (chi.zhang@east-asia-platform.be) 

Management structure

A steering committee, represented by professors from different faculties, supports and assists in drawing the strategic policy lines. Prof. dr. ir. Luc Taerwe is Director of the East Asia Platform and Mrs. Inge Mangelschots is responsible for the overall management of the East Asia Platform within the International Relations Office (Inge.Mangelschots@UGent.be). She is supported by her colleague Zhang Chi in the Beijing Representative Office. A steering committee, represented by professors from the 11 faculties, supports and assists in drawing the strategic policy lines.

Following the recent name change of the platform the composition of the steering committee will be reviewed in the coming weeks.

Management

About the logo

The logo for the East Asia Platform – a paper lantern - is based on the aim to launch a “new Age of Enlightment” for our restructured regional platform.
For long, the paper lantern has played an important part in the culture of many countries in East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. This symbol does not only represent some important traditional cultural aspects but also stands for modernity and innovation in many of today’s societies across the globe. The East Asia Platform choose to give its own broader interpretation to this symbol by using this illustration to show its strong wish and intention to “shine the light” on all the aspects of the academic cooperation and exchange with our partners in the countries, covered by the East Asia Platform.

Ghent University Alumni chapters in the region.

For Ghent University, strengthening the relationship with its international alumni is a priority. The first two chapters of the Ghent University International Alumni Network were launched in September 2013 respectively in Beijing and Shanghai.

In the meantime, Ghent University already has 6 alumni chapters in the region that is covered by the East Asia Platform:

• 4 chapters in Mainland China
• 1 chapter in South-Korea
• 1 chapter in Japan

For an overview of the alumni chapters and the contact details of the chapter ambassadors, please take a look at the alumni webpages.

Strategic Partnership

In 2008 the Ghent University China Platform signed a strategic partnership with the Province of East Flanders, the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC), the City of Ghent and the North Sea Port.

This strategic partnership was established to take a joint approach on the different initiatives related to the region, with a view on presenting East Flanders in all its aspects as a region for innovation, science and knowledge.

Joining academic, political and economic forces has a very strong effect in China, and on the other hand it increases and improves the visibility of each of the partners individually. 

Newsletter

The East Asia Platform Newsletter keeps you informed on new developments in the cooperation with all our partners in our region, funding opportunities and other useful information related to the East Asia region. We send out a newsletter on a monthly basis and often even two times a month.

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