A symposium on international Chinese education in Arab nations convened in Ningxia Hui autonomous region on Sept 21. 

Jia Wenjian, deputy secretary of the CPC committee of Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and vice-president of the university, participated in the event and delivered a significant address.                                            

Jia Wenjian, deputy secretary of the CPC BFSU committee and vice-president of the university, speaks at the symposium. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

In his speech, Jia highlighted BFSU's commitment to the development of its Arabic language programs and academic research. He emphasized the university's close alignment with national strategic objectives and proudly announced that the university has produced more than 2,000 professionals proficient in the Arabic language. 

In recent years, BFSU has proactively responded to the Belt and Road Initiative and has shown a keen interest in the development of international Chinese education in Arab nations, exemplified by the establishment of the Confucius Institute at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

Jia outlined the university's efforts to develop a wide range of international Chinese education programs tailored to the specific needs of Arab nations and shared the significant milestones achieved in this regard.

To enhance the quality and impact of international Chinese education in Arab nations, Jia suggested leveraging the university's language expertise as a core asset to foster talents in the Arabic language, particularly focusing on enhancing teachers’ language proficiency and cultural competence.

The university will continue to publish teaching and reading materials that align with the teaching requirements and cultural characteristics of Arab nations and launch more Chinese education and teaching programs in the UAE and neighboring regions, according to Jia.

The symposium was a platform for fruitful discussions with a shared vision of promoting high-quality international Chinese education in the Arab world. It drew notable attendees, including government officials and representatives from 36 universities across China.