Chinese Confucius Institute to enhance bilateral ties

UAF vice chancellor looking to explore more ways of cooperation.

FAISALABAD: The University of Agriculture Faisalabad’s (UAF) Chinese Confucius Institute will help in broadening mutual cooperation in trade with China, helping Pakistan learn more about their neighbour and use it to enhance bilateral relations, said Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmed Khan.

The UAF official said that this department would enable people from both countries to develop closer ties.

He said this while receiving a five-member Chinese delegation headed by Prof Yang Zhijiang, associate dean at the Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China and president of the Chinese Confucius Institute at UAF.

Khan said Chinese help in offering short courses for technicians and enabling the UAF staff to hone their skills would be appreciated. Additionally, this would also provide the workforce with a potential market that could open new business and employment opportunities, he added.

He said that the university will offer its staff and students opportunity to learn the Chinese native language (Mandarin) at the Chinese Confucius Institute that will attract more people to join and bring more variety to the programmes.

He said the proposed Confucius institute could also be a firm foundation for faculty and student exchange programmes and bringing forth joint research proposals for international funding. He vowed to extend unequivocal support of UAF to the Chinese Institute.

Prof Yang Zhijiang said setting up of a Confucius Institute will further pave the way for building a teaching centre for Chinese architecture.

He said the centre would help provide Pakistanis an opportunity to learn Mandarin and understand more about China’s culture.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2014.

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