Partners in education: MoU on civilisation studies project inked

MULTAN:

Bahauddin Zakariya University and Nanjing University of China on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding on a joint project on studies on histories of ancient civilisations in the region.

Under the agreement, partner institutes would be set up at both universities with a focus on research on ancient civilisations.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Dr Yu Wein Ji of the Department of History at Nanjing University said, “This is an exciting project aimed at providing quality education on the history of this region and an opportunity for developing research on the much-ignored subject.”

He said the project would develop academic and cultural exchanges between students of Pakistan and China.



“We would like to share with students of Multan the importance of world civilisations in shaping our present,” he said.

He said the two universities would exchange students and faculty members.

He said research publications and projects would be jointly undertaken.

Bahauddin Zakria University and Nanjing University, China, signed the agreement under the supervision of Vice Chancellor Syed Khawaja Alqama.

BZU Vice Chancellor Syed Khawaja Alqama said a world civilisations study centre would be established and developed in both institutions under the programme.

He said the departments of history of both universities would collaborate for commonwealth civilisation studies.

He said a large focus of initial projects would be on the British colonial empire.  Muhammad Shafiq of the Department of History at BZU said, “Students will get a chance to study under Chinese teachers and develop an understanding of our shared history.” He said the governments of both China and Pakistan were proud of their relations but many people could not relate to the significance of China in Pakistan and vice versa. “This programme will help students understand how colonialism impacted both China and the region that is now Pakistan,” he said. “Students will be given a chance to contextualise the friendship between China and Pakistan through a rigorous exchange of research and ideas.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2015.