On the morning of October 21, 2016, Lin Jianhua, President of PKU, with his faculty members, welcomed the arrival of Mr. Kevin Rudd, the 26th Prime Minister of Australia, to receive his Honorary Professorship of PKU. The ceremony took place at the VIP guest lounge of the Yingjie Overseas Exchange Center.
President Lin and former Prime Minister Rudd exchanged thoughts on the recent development of China in regard to its economy and education. Moreover, Professor Lin explained that in order to make China a great nation that can influence the world, the focus of humanities and social sciences should be shifted to the regional development around China instead of the core mainstream society alone. In addition, Professor Lin and Mr. Rudd shared their ideas on the strategic foreign policies related to China’s international relationships. Mr. Rudd emphasized the importance of mutual trust as questions will be solved with in-depth discussions. In the end, Mr. Rudd expressed his appreciation towards Chinese studies as well as the well-known Yenching Academy as a platform for learning Chinese culture.
Shortly after Professor Lin and Mr. Rudd’s meeting, Mr. Rudd delivered a speech based on his report entitled “UN2030: Rebuilding Order in a Fragmenting World” at the Sunshine Hall of the Yingjie Exchange Center. In response to the growing tensions, such as the rise of terrorism and the impact of globalization, Mr. Rudd ephasized the importance of recognizing the UN as an essential institution to maintain its strong economic and political influence so that it would be able to serve as a foundation of the international order. Mr. Rudd proposed several key problems existing in the current UN system as well as the core principles of UN reform so as to ensure the stability of the relationships among great powers. Lastly, he provided several specific suggestions for making certain changes possible, such as the need for a stronger institutional leadership and political will with a clear program of reform driven by a result-oriented culture. He also recognized the significant contributions China has made in foreign policy, which is essential for world order and international relations.
During the Q&A session, in terms of Mr. Rudd’s opinions on the rise of China and the role that Australia plays in the China-US relationship, students eagerly asked several questions. Then, Mr. Rudd answered each question clearly and concretely and expressed his optimistic attitude towards the future contributions and changes that Chinese government will make.
Background Information: Kevin Michael Rudd is a former Australian politician who was elected twice as Prime Minister of Australia, from 2007 to 2010 and again in 2013. Rudd joined the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1981, serving as a diplomat till 1988, and spent most of the 1980s overseas at various Australian embassies, including in Stockholm and Beijing.
Written by: Zhu Jieyun (Jane)
Edited by: Xu Zheqi
Photos by: Zhao Juan
