ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistani and Chinese non-governmental organizations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on launching together with the Chinese Language Program in Pakistani Universities.
The Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS) based in Islamabad signed the MoU on the Chinese Language Program with Viivbook, Tianjin Hantong Educational Technology Co., Ltd a leading company offering scholarships and Chinese Language Institutions.
The MoU will be offering free Chinese training courses, research and development, and promoting cultural cooperation.
This initiative will be a pilot project that begins from Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (SBBWU), Peshawar. This will be expanded to all Universities across Pakistan.
The MoU is meant to serve “Belt and Road” comprehensive strategy contributes to China—Pakistan friendship and cultural exchange, let more and more Pakistani students can conveniently, high-efficiently learn Chinese with comparatively reasonable price, nurture more international talents for Pakistan. Both parties friendly cooperated to promote this program.
Farhat Asif, Founder President, Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS) commenced the meeting with her address.
Farhat Asif emphasized the close cooperation of China and Pakistan. She highlighted that the cooperation has been fruitful for both sides. After that, the participants introduced themselves.
Dr. Rafida Nawaz, Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science, Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) Multan in the meeting. During the meeting, Dr. Rafida highlighted the departments of BZU.
Dr. Rafida emphasized the role of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in strengthening China-Pakistan cooperation. She said that cultural exchanges between Pakistan and China are important. The Chinese Language program will help them to better understand the Chinese culture and to interact with the people of China. She further added that this initiative will enhance the CPEC cooperation.
Henna Karamat, Director of the Office of Research, Innovation & Commercialization (ORIC), represented Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (SBBWU), Peshawar. While sharing her views, Henna said that SBBWU has the outstanding potential to collaborate and support this initiative. She pointed out that all the women colleges in KPK are affiliated with SBBWU. Director ORIC has also emphasized the role of her university in strengthening China-Pakistan relations. She stated that SBBWU is teaching several foreign languages with special emphasis on the Chinese language.
Henna highlighted the importance of the Chinese language in Pakistan due to the CPEC. She also highlighted the closer cooperation of SBBWU with China by mentioning the students’ exchange program of its university with China. 30 students went to China in a student exchange program, she added. They came back with excelling Chinese language and have started teaching the Chinese language in the university.
CPEC has increased the people’s contact with Chinese instructors and investors. Pakistanis face a language barrier due to which they are eager to learn the Chinese language. Therefore, the Chinese Language Program can also help a lot in teaching the Chinese language.
Libei Zhang, Manager Viivbook, Tianjin Hantong Educational Technology Co., Ltd said that this initiative will strengthen the ironclad brotherhood of China and Pakistan. She highlighted the close bilateral relations of the two states. People-to-people contacts between the two states have been increasing, she added. She also highlighted the increase in cultural and student exchanges between the two sides since the launching of the CPEC.
Libei expressed gratitude to the IPDS for playing an active role in expanding China-Pakistan relations by conducting webinars. She then explained the Chinese Language Program which will help the people to know China more closely. It will help to learn Chinese culture and the Chinese language. It will improve their listening, speaking, and writing skills in the Chinese language. She also announced that a Chinese Language Competition will be held every year and the winners will get cash prizes.
Libei also put emphasis on the future cooperation between China and Pakistan. She stated that Beijing Normal University will enhance its cultural exchanges with Pakistani universities to strengthen the cooperation between the two sides. The students will become Ambassadors after completing their exchange programs and will help to uphold collaboration between the two ironclad friends.
Xiao, Director of Education, Beijing Normal University stated that China and Pakistan are durable friends. No one can break their ironclad friendship. The two sides believe in a shared future. Therefore, he will continue to make efforts to strengthen the cooperation of Beijing Normal University with the Pakistani Universities such as Bahauddin Zakariya University and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University. It will help to strengthen the mutual trust between the people of the two sides. Pakistani students can develop themselves by studying in Chinese institutes, he added. The Chinese Language Program will play a huge role in strengthening the Sino-Pakistan internal friendship.
Farhat Asif, the President of IPDS made concluding remarks in which she emphasized closer China-Pakistan cooperation. She emphasized the role of the Centre of BRI and China studies in strengthening relations and building trust between the two sides. She stated everyone is aware of the importance of CPEC and BRI in regional development. This has increased the urge of the local population to learn the Chinese language.
Therefore, the Chinese Language Program becomes an important initiative to learn the Chinese language. Students, Scholars, and even any interested individual can learn the Chinese language through this project. In the end, she stressed that the two sides should continue to make efforts to strengthen the bilateral relations.
In the end, the MoU on the Chinese Language Program was signed by Libei Zhang, the Manager of Viivbook, and Asif Noor, Founder Director, Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS).
The two sides aimed to work together further to expand and strengthen the cooperation. They also agreed that it is just the beginning of the long journey of cooperation between the two sides.
