On the afternoon of November 2nd, Dalian Maritime University's training vessel Yu Kun successfully arrived in Busan, South Korea, officially kicking off the China-South Korea Maritime Academic and Cultural Exchange activities.

On November 3rd, the 2025 2nd KMOU & DMU Joint Academic and Cultural Exchange, was held at the auditorium of Korea Maritime and Ocean University. President Ryoo Dongkeun of Korea Maritime and Ocean University (KMOU), former Secretary-General Lim Kitack of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), President Kim Minjong of the the Korea Institute of Maritime and Fisheries Technology (KIMFT), and Deputy Consul General Yu Lifei of the Chinese Consulate General in Busan attended the opening ceremony. Vice President of Dalian Maritime University (DMU) Zeng Qingcheng led a delegation of over 150 teachers and students from Yukun to participate in the event.

In his speech, Zeng Qingcheng reviewed the long-standing cooperative history between the two universities. He stated that since the first visit of KMOU's training vessel to Dalian in 1995, over the past 30 years, the two sides have continuously deepened friendship and consolidated trust through practical cooperation such as mutual visits of training vessels and exchanges of faculty and students.

He emphasized that the launch of this academic and cultural exchange event marks an important step forward in the partnership between the two universities, fully demonstrating their shared commitment to innovation and joint development for the future. He expressed the hope that the visit of the Yu Kun training vessel would serve as a new milestone, further deepening and expanding cooperation between the two institutions. This, he noted, would not only inject fresh momentum into the high-quality development of both universities, but also make greater contributions to China-Korea friendship and the prosperous advancement of the global maritime industry.

In his remarks, Ryoo Dongkeun extended a warm welcome to the faculty and student delegation aboard the Yu Kun, noting that the two universities have long maintained a close partnership and have worked together to advance global maritime education. In the face of challenges confronting the international shipping industry, he expressed his hope that the two institutions would focus on the future of green shipping, cultivating professionals capable of responding to industry challenges in a safe, efficient, and reliable manner. He also encouraged both sides to further expand cooperation with maritime universities around the world, promoting the sustainable development of the maritime sector.

In his remarks, Lim Kitack extended his warm congratulations on the successful organization of the exchange event between the two universities. He noted that over the past two decades, he has maintained close cooperation with both institutions and spoke highly of the important role their bilateral partnership has played in advancing the maritime industry, as well as their significant contributions to global maritime education and vital efforts in cultivating maritime professionals. In the face of shared challenges such as climate change, seafarer welfare, marine environmental protection, and maritime legislation, he expressed his hope that the two universities would further strengthen communication and cooperation, working together to build a better maritime future.

Mayor Park Heongjoon of Busan Metropolitan City sent a congratulatory message in honor of the event. In his letter, he recognized the pivotal role the two maritime universities have played in advancing maritime education not only in Korea and China, but across Asia. He noted that with world-class academic standards and sustained international collaboration, the two institutions have brought renewed vitality to the field of maritime education. He expressed strong confidence that this year’s academic and cultural exchange would further solidify the foundation for bilateral cooperation, deepen the friendship between Korea and China, and inject fresh momentum into the shared prosperity of maritime education in both countries.

During the academic presentation, Li Lianbo, Vice Dean of the Navigation College of DMU, and Zhao Junhao, Vice Dean of the Marine Engineering College of DMU, together with Lim Sangseop, Professor from the School of Navigation of KMOU, and Kim Daewon, Director of the Onboard Training Center of KMOU, delivered speeches on themes such as maritime talent cultivation in the age of AI, maritime education cooperation between China and South Korea, challenges and explorations in marine engineering talent development, and maritime talent training in South Korea respectively.

Ping Tianhao and Zhao Xiaonan, student representatives of our university, as well as Lee Hwajin, Kim Haewon, Kim Dasol and Heo Ahyoung, student representatives of KMOU, successively shared their insights around the theme of “students’ life in maritime education and training”.

Ma Mingfei, Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Office of DMU, presented invitation letters to the President of KMOU and the Captain of the university's training vessel "Hanbada", sincerely inviting them to visit our university in 2026 for further academic and cultural exchanges.

During the exchange activities, students from both universities gave wonderful cultural performances. Finally, all teachers and students sang the song "Hand in Hand", bringing this academic and cultural exchange event to a satisfactory close.

Prior to the main exchange event, Zeng Qingcheng and his delegation held a meeting with KMOU President Ryoo Dongkeun. Zeng noted that the two universities have engaged in a rich variety of faculty and student exchanges in recent years, continuously deepening their friendly and cooperative relationship. He expressed hope for further strengthening cooperation in areas such as faculty and student exchanges, jointly-held academic competitions, and international seminars to actively contribute to the cultivation of high-level maritime talent in both countries.

Ryoo Dongkeun affirmed that KMOU has always placed great importance on its partnership with DMU. He hoped that this visit would serve as an opportunity to continue deepening practical cooperation in maritime education, academic research, and other fields, constantly enriching the forms of exchange, and injecting new momentum into promoting China-South Korea maritime sector cooperation and industry development.

The visit of DMU’s training vessel “Yu Kun” to Busan was at the invitation of KMOU to participate in the “2025 2nd KMOU-DMU Academic and Cultural Exchange”. During their stay in South Korea, the DMU delegation will also visit institutions such as KIMFT and the Korea Ocean Business Corporation (KOBC) to conduct exchanges on maritime education and scientific research cooperation.