On October 25, Tongji University Alumni Association signed a Friendship Agreement with Alumni Society of French National Institute of Higher Engineering and Technology (Arts et Métiers ParisTech). According to the agreement, the two sides will set up a platform for communication between alumni of the two universities so that they may participate in industrial and economic activities in both countries to serve the society. This was the first time that Tongji University Alumni Association signed a friendship agreement with an Alumni Society of a university from another country.

DONG Qi, Vice Chairman of Tongji University Alumni Association, signed the agreement on behalf of the Association. He had been invited to attend the 2019 Global Alumni Conference of the Alumni Society of Arts et Métiers and delivered a speech. In his speech, he reviewed the years of cooperation and deep friendship between the two universities, and looked forward to closer cooperation through the efforts of the alumni from both sides.

Arts et Métiers, founded in 1780, is a prestigious French engineering institute, and one of the oldest institutes and the most famous engineering institutes in France. Tongji University signed a Cooperation Framework Agreement with Arts et Métiers in March 2009, and a Master-level Double Diploma Program Agreement in November of the same year.