Published by: Xiao Yuxuan, Hu Taishan Edited by: Media Convergence Center
WUST News (Reporter Xiao Yuxuan, Intern Reporter Hu Taishan) On the morning of November 1st, the grand opening ceremony for the Class of 2025 of the WUST-Madrid Complutense Institute (WMCI) was held at the library on Huangjiahu Campus WUST. Distinguished guests from China and Spain, including Dai Wei, Deputy Director of Hubei Provincial Department of Education; Joaquín Goyache Goñi, Rector of Complutense University of Madrid (UCM); Ni Hongwei, WUST Party Secretary; and Lv Yong, Vice Secretary of the Party Committee and President of WUST, gathered with 274 inaugural students of the Institute to witness this historic moment. The ceremony was presided over by WUST Vice President Dong Lijie.
Dai Wei extended warm congratulations on behalf of the Provincial Department of Education for the successful collaboration between WUST and UCM. He emphasized that Hubei, as a major education province, highly values educational openness. The partnership between WUST and a top Spanish institution marks a significant breakthrough in high-level Chinese-foreign Cooperation in Running Schools in the province, setting a compelling example for others. He encouraged students to cherish this valuable opportunity, actively engage in inquiry, exchange, and practice, and strive to become professionals proficient in their fields while well-versed in both Chinese and international cultures.
Joaquín Goyache Goñi praised the collaboration in his speech as "a bridge connecting two cultures, two histories, and two knowledge systems," seamlessly integrating WUST’s strengths in engineering application capabilities with UCM's heritage in humanities and social sciences in humanities and social sciences. Quoting the Chinese philosopher Confucius, he remarked, "The wise are free from perplexity; the virtuous from anxiety; and the bold from fear.", underscoring that true wisdom, benevolence, and courage form the foundation of education and the strength of life. He expressed hope that students would grow through learning into future talents who advance technological progress while caring for human well-being.
Lv Yong vividly depicted the partnership as "a handshake across mountains and seas", highlighting the profound significance as both an integration of Eastern and Western educational wisdom in the new era and a firm step by both universities toward global innovation engagement. He noted that the cooperation aims to cultivate outstanding talents capable of addressing future global challenges, pooling the best educational resources from both sides to build an international and innovative college. Lv encouraged the inaugural students to aspire high, integrate knowledge with courage, and write a remarkable chapter of the times through their dual identities as “WUST students” and “UCM students.”
Cristóbal Pareja, Dean of the Faculty of Statistical Studies; Luis Antonio, Dean of the Faculty of Informatics; and Juan Carlos, Executive Delegate of Wuhan Campus, each gave speeches introducing WMCI’s features and future plans, urging students to be explorers and creators. Song Junrui, a representative of the Class of 2025, expressed the cohort’s commitment to drawing on the essence of Chinese and Western wisdom and contributing youthful energy to technological advancement and cross-cultural exchange.
During the ceremony, Ni Hongwei and Joaquín Goyache Goñi jointly unveiled the "Intercultural Digital Humanities Research Center", inaugurating a new chapter in the deep integration of education and research between the two universities. Following the unveiling, Dai Wei, Ni Hongwei, and Joaquín Goyache Goñi exchanged gifts in celebration of the successful partnership.
UCM, Spain's top comprehensive university, established its first overseas campus at Harvard University in 1990 (the Real Colegio Complutense). The WMCI now becomes its second such campus and a pioneering achievement for a provincial university in Hubei by partnering with a top 200 QS World University.
