BELFAST, Britain -- Officials and academics participating in a forum here have called for boost to China-Britain cooperation in education.

The forum on education cooperation was held at Ulster University on Wednesday.

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom Zheng Zeguang noted at the forum that facts "have and will continue to show that China-UK educational collaboration is mutually beneficial and has broad prospects."

Edwin Poots, speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, said that connections between the two sides have expanded substantially over the years.

The potential for sharing experiences and to learn from each other should be maximized, Poots said.

Colin Davidson, chancellor of Ulster University, said the university is proud of its extensive partnerships and links across China's higher education sector.

Professor Tom Maguire, head of the university's School of Arts and Humanities, told Xinhua that it is important to "encourage students to encounter people from different backgrounds and cultures, so that they expand their vision of what it is to be human."

Derek Harkness, an education expert, said the links between the two countries have been very important not only from a cultural and linguistic perspective, but also for the "friendship benefit."

This cooperation should be strengthened as "we proceed into the future", the expert added.