Opinions & Interviews

Belarus, China scaling up academic partnerships

MINSK, 2 October (BelTA) – Belarus-China academic partnerships are gaining momentum, Director of the Confucius Institute of Sinology at Belarusian State University (BSU), Professor Anatoly Tozik said as he met with Chinese students. The meeting was timed to the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, BelTA has learned.

Chinese students from the Faculty of Journalism at Belarusian State University visited the Confucius Institute of Sinology on this day. Together with teachers and students of the institute they watched a military parade broadcast by China Central Television.

Anatoly Tozik was ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Belarus to China in 2006-2011. “Ten years ago, on 1 October 2009, I was standing on the rostrum on Tiananmen Square and watching grandiose festivities, a military parade and a rally of workers. The impressions were unforgettable,” he recalled.

The professor told the Chinese students about the work of the institute and took them on excursion of a new building of the institute. It will host a library with Belarus’ biggest collection of books on history, culture and social and economic development of China. The Chinese government has donated about 6,000 books in Chinese, Russian and English to the library.

The meeting wrapped up with a press conference. Anatoly Tozik answered questions and suggested discussing a possibility to set up a students’ press center that will be operated jointly by the Confucius Institute of Sinology and the Faculty of Journalism of Belarusian State University. He emphasized the importance of Belarus-China academic exchanges; after all, it is the youth who will promote cooperation between Belarus and China, including contacts as part of the Belt and Road initiative.

The Confucius Institute of Sinology at Belarusian State University was awarded the title of Confucius Model Institute. The ceremony took place during the European Forum of Confucius Institutes in Minsk on 9 September. The BSU Confucius Institute of Sinology is the only institution in the post-Soviet space to be awarded the title. The status gives the institute the official authority to coordinate the activities of all Confucius institutes and classes established in Belarus. The traditional areas of the BSU The institute is already heavily invested in research of the socio-economic development of modern China and topical issues of Belarusian-Chinese cooperation. In addition, the institute provides assistance to the BSU as it promotes scientific cooperation with the organizations of the People's Republic of China.

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