On September 6, a delegation led by Damiano Tommasi, Mayor of Verona, Italy, visited Hangzhou City University (HZCU). The delegation was received by Dong Yue, Chairman of the University Council, and Yang Bo, President of HZCU. Antonia, Consul General of Italy in Shanghai, and Kiris, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Italian Embassy in China also attended this event. They were accompanied by Jin Tao, Vice President of HZCU, and Li Daoqiao, Deputy Director of the Hangzhou Municipal People's Government Foreign Affairs Office.
On behalf of the University, Dong Yue extended a warm welcome to Mayor Tommasi and his delegation. He stated that, building on prior communications, HZCU has already signed exchange and cooperation agreements with the University of Verona in areas such as cultural heritage protection, archaeological conservation, and architecture. He expressed hope that this educational collaboration would build a ladder for talent development and actively contribute to deepening the friendship between the sister cities of Hangzhou and Verona. Damiano Tommasi remarked that the cooperative program between the University of Verona and HZCU is not only a platform for sharing educational resources but should also serve as a bridge for cultural exchange and mutual learning between China and Italy. He looked forward to the continuous deepening of exchanges and cooperation between the faculty and students of both universities, enabling them to become cultural ambassadors enhancing the ties between the two cities.
During the exchanges, both parties expressed their intention to use this visit as a starting point to further establish a regular communication platform, promote deep integration of the educational and innovation chains between Hangzhou and Verona, continuously enhance the sister city brand, and write more remarkable chapters in the exchanges and cooperation between China and Italy.
Prior to the meeting, Mayor Tommasi and his delegation visited the "Window to HZCU" exhibition hall and inspected the Intelligent Cultural Computing Research Center and the Grand Archaeology Innovation Research Center. They gained a detailed understanding of the university's distinctive educational characteristics, disciplinary strengths, achievements in international cooperation, and innovative outcomes in using digital technology to empower the preservation and transmission of cultural heritage.
During the visit, Damiano Tommasi met with faculty and students from the University of Verona who were conducting research and study activities at hzcu. Student representatives from China and Italy presented gifts to Mayor Tommasi.
