The “2024 Young Scholars’ Forum on Comparative Education” of the China Comparative Education Society was held at Jinming Campus, Henan University, from May 18th to 19th. Themed “High-Level Education Opening Up: International Experience and Chinese Wisdom”, the forum aimed to explore approaches and strategies for leveraging high-level education openness to support the construction of a strong education nation and contribute to the modernization of education with Chinese characteristics. Over 280 scholars from over 70 universities, research institutions, academic journals, and publishing houses across China participated in the event.

At the opening ceremony, Mengya Yang, Vice Secretary of the Party Committee of HENU, delivered a welcoming address on behalf of the university. He remarked that humanity has entered an era defined by globalization, information technology, and intelligence, making high-level education in an open environment an inevitable choice for modernizing education with Chinese characteristics. He expressed his hope that the forum would serve as a platform for young and middle-aged scholars to engage in extensive exchanges of academic research findings and collectively advance the field of comparative education.

Mingyuan Gu, Honorary President of the Chinese Society of Education, addressed the forum via video message. He emphasized the significance of globalized education research as a focal point in contemporary comparative education studies. He encouraged young and middle-aged scholars to make new contributions to the modernization of education with Chinese characteristics.

Dinghua Wang, Vice President of the Chinese Society of Education, also delivered a video address. He highlighted high-level education openness as a crucial pathway to achieving educational modernization. He urged comparative education research to focus on elevating the level of international cooperation in education, delving deeper into regional studies and national education systems, and summarizing and promoting Chinese wisdom and experiences within the field.

Professor Baocun Liu, President of the China Comparative Education Society, stated in his address that young and middle-aged scholars represent the future and hope of the comparative education discipline. He emphasized the need for these scholars to diligently summarize the theoretical foundations, practical experiences, and innovative approaches related to high-level education openness.

During the keynote speech session, two distinguished scholars delivered presentations: Professor Xiaozhou Xu, Chair Professor at Zhejiang University, and Professor Hui Xu, Vice President of the China Comparative Education Society.

The forum featured 11 keynote speeches and 16 parallel sessions under themes such as “International Perspectives on Higher Education Modernization”. Over 180 scholars from renowned universities like Beijing Normal University, East China Normal University, and Peking University presented their research at these sessions. Fourteen representatives from HENU, including Professor Xiaoming Duan and several doctoral students, delivered keynote speeches and presentations in parallel sessions. Twenty-seven young and middle-aged faculty members from the Faculty of Education served as moderators or commentators for the parallel sessions. Additionally, an “Academic Journal Editing Workshop” was organized, inviting editors from eight academic journals to discuss manuscript writing, review principles, and submission guidelines with scholars.

At the closing ceremony, Professor Ping Wang, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Education, introduced the development of education disciplines at Henan University and delivered a summary report of the forum. Professor Jun Teng, Secretary-General of the China Comparative Education Society, presided over the closing ceremony. She extended her warm congratulations on the successful conclusion of the forum and expressed her gratitude to HENU for its meticulous organization and dedicated efforts.