Four books — Indian Culture and Education, Iranian Culture and Education, Cuban Culture and Education and Kenyan Culture and Education — were published recently, adding up to 20 monographs in the book series on culture and education of countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

A photo shows the 20 published monographs in the book series on culture and education of countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

The 20 monographs cover the national conditions, cultural traditions and educational history of countries and regions involved in the BRI, including Albania, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Angola, North Macedonia, the Republic of Congo, Cuba, Kenya, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Senegal, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Ukraine, Singapore, Iran, India and Jordan. The books also document these countries’ preschool, basic, higher, vocational and adult education, teacher training, as well as their educational policies, administration and exchanges with China, providing reference, suggestions and inspiration for China's educational reform and development.

The BRI has enjoyed worldwide acclaim since it was proposed in 2013. It calls for cultural exchanges and mutual learning for the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, as well as educational exchanges and talent training to support policy coordination, facility connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people relations.

Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) has taken the initiative to organize and compile the BRI culture and education book series, while bearing in mind China’s most fundamental interests to serve national strategies.

The book series is a phased research achievement in the key project of “Research on Improving China's Ability and Strategy to Participate in Global Education Governance in the New Era” funded by the National Social Science Fund of China, among major projects supported by the International Education Branch of the Chinese Society of Education (CSE), as well as BFSU’s landmark projects in its drive to build first-class university and academic disciplines.

The monographs have professor Wang Dinghua, Party secretary of the CPC BFSU committee and secretary-general of the CSE International Education Branch, as their editor-in-chief. Participants in the preparation and writing of the books include teachers and research fellows from the Graduate School of Education, the School of Russian, the School of European Languages and Cultures, the School of Asian Studies, the School of African Studies, the School of Arabic Studies, the Department of Hispanic and Portuguese, the Faculty of French and Francophone Studies, the School of English and International Studies, the School of International Relations and Diplomacy, the Office of Academic Research and the Office of Confucius Institutes at BFSU, as well as the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.

The compilation and publication of the book series is conducive for the university to pursuing development through talent training, academic studies and global exchanges, and accelerating its progress in building itself into a world-class foreign studies university.

The book series fills in the gaps in relevant research fields in China, explores new ground in the education and research of countries and regions involved in the BRI, introduces advanced educational concepts and helps China's education modes go global. The books also play an important role in promoting the common prosperity of culture and education in relevant countries and regions, strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation among different cultures and education, and facilitating the reform and development of Chinese culture and education.