On the evening of July 8, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) hosted a special exchange night for Greek students and faculty as part of the "East Meets West, Building the Future Together" Global Summer School. The event celebrated the 20th anniversary of the China-Greece Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and brought together 42 Greek students with HUST representatives to envision new horizons for science and education cooperation.

Vice President Professor ZHANG Yonghui delivered the opening address, reflected on HUST’s collaboration with Greek institutions spanning more than a decade and stated that the 20th anniversary marks a new starting point to deepen ‌Industry-academia partnership‌. He encouraged young people from both nations to build bridges of exchange and mutual learning.

Minister-Counsellor ZHANG Gang of the Chinese Embassy in Greece shared a video message, emphasizing that two-way youth mobility lays the social foundation for long-term bilateral relations.

Dr. Georgios Karalis, the lecturer from the National Technical University of Athens, traced the 15-year history of the summer school partnership and encouraged students to forge lasting friendships. 

Four Greek student representatives from  China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy, School of Mechanical Science and Engineering, School of Materials Science and Engineering, and School of Medicine and Health Management shared their study experiences in China. They noted that the short-term exchange not only helped them integrate into local life but also left the impression of China's deeply integrated industry-academia-research model. They expressed hope that more Greek youth would come to study in China.

SONG Guodong, CEO of FiberHome International South Europe Region and a representative of Chinese enterprises in Greece, remarked that the summer school serves as an excellent bridge between academia and industry. With the company actively expanding in communication networks and artificial intelligence across Southern Europe, he foresees broad career opportunities for globally minded young talents over the next three to five years.

During the exchange session, HUST department heads outlined promising directions for future cooperation, from green low-carbon shipbuilding technologies connected with Greece’s shipping tradition, to cutting-edge brain-computer interface research at the intersection of medicine and engineering, and to the “Excellent Engineer” cultivation model that offers long-cycle internships. HUST is actively building platforms where Greek students can apply their talents and become ambassadors of China-Greece friendship and sci-tech cooperation.

Professor CHEN Rong, Dean of the School of International Education,  remarked that the summer school is a key component of HUST’s open engineering education and expressed the hope that this experience would become a lasting “home in China” for Greek teachers and students.

Co-hosted by the School of International Education and HUST Media Center, the event concluded with a shared consensus: China-Greece youth ties in science, innovation, and the humanities are entering a new twenty-year cycle. Both sides will carry forward mutual learning through concrete projects and support shared development with world-class engineering education.