Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) held the 35th Annual Meeting of the Collaborative Group of China Foreign Studies Universities and the 3rd Presidents’ Forum of the Global Alliance of Foreign Studies Universities on Sept 25 to celebrate its 80th anniversary. 

BFSU holds the 35th Annual Meeting of the Collaborative Group of China Foreign Studies Universities and the 3rd Presidents’ Forum of the Global Alliance of Foreign Studies Universities on Sept 25.

Representatives from the Ministry of Education (MOE) and member universities of the collaborative group and the global alliance attended the meeting. 

The meeting is the first activity in a series to celebrate BFSU’s 80th anniversary. Since 1986, the collaborative group of China foreign studies universities has held 35 annual meetings, enhancing communications and boosting relations among its members.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Sun Youzhong, a member of the standing committee of the CPC BFSU committee and vice-president of the university. 

Wang Dinghua, secretary of the CPC BFSU committee, speaks at the opening ceremony on Sept 25.

Wang Dinghua, secretary of the CPC BFSU committee, delivered a welcoming speech. Wang said the world is experiencing great changes and the global governance system needs to be improved. The current situation has brought unprecedented challenges and opportunities to foreign language higher education.

He called on universities to cultivate foreign-related talents, give full play to the role of foreign language education in improving education opening-up, and accelerate the establishment of a high-quality talent training system under the guidance of “double first-class” construction. 

He stressed the importance of consultation, sharing, and win-win cooperation. “Constantly expanding cooperation scope, enriching cooperation modes, building a shared platform for scientific research and social practice, and promoting in-depth collaboration among member universities will be the core of improving the quality of talent training,” Wang said. 

He also suggested foreign studies universities should make greater contributions to serving the national strategy, constructing a powerful educational mechanism and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Xu Yongji, an MOE official, delivers a speech on China’s foreign language education on Sept 25.

Xu Yongji, deputy director general of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges and the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of the MOE, extended warm congratulations on the convening of the annual meeting and the presidents’ forum, and sent his best wishes for the 80th anniversary of BFSU. 

He said that since the implementation of the reform and opening up policy, China has achieved leapfrog development in its foreign language education. Foreign studies universities and foreign language education should further strengthen top-level design and long-term planning, pinpoint development orientations, better serve the Belt and Road Initiative and enhance the training of international inter-disciplinary talents, according to him.

“We need to cultivate masters in foreign language teaching and scientific research, play a more vital role in global exchanges and international education cooperation, publicize the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, strengthen international communication and tell a good Chinese story,” Xu said. 

Representatives release BFSU multilingual journals on Sept 25.

A press conference was held to release 11 multilingual journals at the opening ceremony. Zhao Gang, a member of the standing committee of the CPC BFSU committee and vice-president of the university, said the journal series includes English, French, German, Russian, Portuguese and Arabic, among other language versions.

Song Lingyun, an MOE official, congratulates BFSU on the release of the multilingual journals on Sept 25.

Song Lingyun, deputy director general of the Department of Social Sciences of MOE, congratulated BFSU on its 80th anniversary and the release of the journals. He pointed out that multilingual journals have provided an important platform to promote academic exchanges between China and foreign countries and enhanced the international influence of China. 

Song suggested BFSU should bring forward new ideas while sticking to the original aspiration, stay committed to promoting China’s academic achievements, accumulate experience in publishing journals and make efforts to train multilingual talents.

The first journal series includes the Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics, Interkulturelles Forum der deutsch-chinesischen Kommunikation, La revue Cahiers de la Chine, Chinese Journal of Slavic Studies and seven other journals.

The publication of multilingual journals embodies BFSU’s commitment in serving an innovation-driven development strategy with its own characteristics to build an academic exchange mechanism. 

Following the opening ceremony, the 35th Annual Meeting of the Collaborative Group of China Foreign Studies Universities and the 3rd Presidents’ Forum of the Global Alliance of Foreign Studies Universities officially started.

The forum was presided over by Jia Wenjian, deputy secretary of the CPC BFSU committee and vice-president of the university. Leaders and scholars from renowned foreign studies universities delivered keynote speeches and exchanged views.

Yang Dan (R) from BFSU hands over the flag of the collaborative group of China foreign studies universities to Ma Guisheng (L) from BLCU on Sept 25.

At the closing ceremony, Yang Dan, deputy secretary of the CPC BFSU committee and president of the university, handed over the flag of the collaborative group of China foreign studies universities to Ma Guisheng, deputy secretary of the Party committee of Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) to announce BLCU as the organizer of the fourth annual meeting.