Chongqing - On November 10, the Chongqing Municipal People's Government and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in integrating industry, academia, research, and practical applications. 

Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony between the Chongqing Municipal People's Government, PRC, and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. (Photo/Su Si)

Yuan Jiajun, Secretary of the Communist Party of China Chongqing Municipal Committee, met with Ho Teck Hua, President of NTU, and his delegation and witnessed the signing ceremony.

Yuan highlighted that in recent years, Chongqing has actively implemented the significant consensus reached by the leaders of China and Singapore. Guided by the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity, the municipality has promoted partnerships with Singapore in key areas such as financial services, the aviation industry, transportation and logistics, and information and communications technology, achieving substantial results.

As the only municipality directly under the central government in China's central and western regions, Chongqing is unique because of its integrated multimodal transport advantages across rail, road, water, and air. 

It serves as an international comprehensive transportation hub, featuring the Yangtze River's golden waterway connecting the world, the China-Europe Railway Express linking Europe and Asia, and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) extending into Southeast Asia. This strategic importance makes Chongqing crucial to national and regional development and international openness.

Yuan emphasized Chongqing’s commitment to advancing technological innovation and digital empowerment, exploring new pathways for the modern governance of megacities, promoting green and low-carbon development, and accelerating the establishment of hubs for comprehensive logistics, industrial and supply chains, technology transfer, and advanced energy computing capabilities. These efforts aim to position Chongqing as a leading force in high-quality development in the Western region.

NTU is recognized as one of the world's leading innovative universities and is known for its strong technological innovation and talent resources. Yuan expressed hope that the MoU would mark the beginning of a new chapter in collaboration, leveraging Chongqing's industrial strengths and application scenarios to deepen cooperation in joint education programs, talent cultivation, low-altitude economy, artificial intelligence, and urban governance, thereby achieving mutual benefits and shared growth.

Ho Teck Hua expressed gratitude for Chongqing's strong support and commitment to their partnership. He noted that Chongqing's solid industrial base, vast market players, and favorable development environment make it a fertile ground for innovation and entrepreneurship.

NTU is eager to seize opportunities in areas such as artificial intelligence, deepen practical cooperation in talent development and research outcomes, and ensure the effective implementation of agreed initiatives to achieve higher levels of mutual benefit.