Chinese Vice-Premier Li Lanqing Tuesday met with presidents and vice-presidents from nine renowned universities from both China and aboard.
The university executives, including those from XI Paris University, Helsinki University, Beijing University and Qinghua University, are here to attend the Presidents of World Prestigious Universities Forum, one of the major events of the on-going Third Session of China (Beijing) International High-tech Industries Week 2000.
Li said that knowledge-based economy has gradually taken shape in the world today, in which education, science and technology play an increasingly important role in socioeconomic development and international exchanges become more frequent in the area of higher education.
Li also briefed the guests on the reform and development of China's higher education and exchanged views with them on increasing contacts between Chinese and overseas institutions of higher learning.