Our university has been distinguished as an "excellent" institution in the 2023 International Exchange and Cooperation Assessment administered for the leadership of higher education establishments in Hebei Province. This laurel, announced by the Hebei Provincial Department of Education, marks a significant recognition of our university's sustained commitment to advancing international exchange and cooperation.

Over the year, in line with the country's Belt and Road Initiative, our university has steadfastly propelled an open education policy and notably escalated its international education standards. This ascent led to breakthroughs in a myriad of sectors including collaborative education, international exchange and cooperation, talent attraction, international talent cultivation, and cultural exchange. Our efforts culminated in being designated as the 'Advanced Group of International Education Exchange in Hebei Province for 2021-2023'. Furthermore, the science and technology arm of the provincial government acknowledged our accommodation for foreign experts as a 'Hebei Province Foreign Experts Apartment.'

This year, our university also secured several significant firsts, including approval for the Chunhui Plan Project and the Spring Sunshine Program. It won its first accolade from the Fok Ying Tung Education Foundation for Young Scientists at Higher Education Institutions, received initial approval for three projects under the China-Foreign High-Level University Student Exchange Plan, and was given the green light for Hebei province's first foreign academician workstation. We also launched the International Student Experimental Class for the Major in Civil Engineering, a first in recruiting international students, followed by the admission of our first overseas doctoral students.

Another feature of 2023 was the broadening of our channels for open education. We undertook several bold steps through collaborations with globally renowned higher education players, namely, RWTH Aachen University in Germany and the University of Adelaide in Australia. This included kick-starting the RWTH Aachen University's '3+1+Masters' joint education program and the Ministry of Education's 'China-High Plan'. Strides were also made in integrating foreign specialists within our faculty, with nearly fifty experts being brought in from overseas, substantially strengthening the university's academic prowess. Recognizing the contributions of our foreign faculty, the municipal government of Tangshan crowned them 'Phoenix Friendship Experts'. As part of our commitment to maintaining a diverse faculty, we recorded over a hundred teachers studying abroad.

Finally, we hosted a range of significant events, including the Hebei Province's Overseas Security Education Training and Consulate Protection Service Campus Activities. The year concluded with our administration of the distinguished 13th Sino-Hungarian Medical Forum.