Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 26 June (BelTA) – China takes a great interest in the education system of Belarus, Belarus Education Minister Igor Karpenko said during the opening of the forum of university rectors of Belarus and China that discussed the cooperation between the two countries in science and education in the context of the Belt and Road initiative, BelTA has learned.

“A meeting at the level of the education ministers of the two countries is held for the first time. The Chinese Education Minister has shown a great interest in our system, especially in vocational training because modern innovative economic development requires appropriate training of specialists,” Igor Karpenko noted.

He noted that the Chinese language is becoming increasingly popular in Belarus. Some secondary schools teach it as the first foreign language. There are Confucius institutes at Belarusian State University (BSU), Minsk State Linguistic University, and Belarusian National Technical University (BNTU). “The study of the Chinese language is a long-term ambition. It means new opportunities, especially considering the investments that China has injected in the projects such as the industrial park Great Stone, a number of innovative enterprises. These projects will require exploring not only the language but also the professions to be presented at these enterprises,” the Belarusian education minister stressed.

Eight agreements were signed between the top universities of the two countries during the forum of university rectors of China and Belarus. For example, Minsk State Linguistic University and East China Normal University agreed to set up a department of the Chinese language and culture at the Minsk-based university.

Cooperation agreements were signed between BSU and Beijing Foreign Studies University, Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics and Henan University, Maxim Tank Belarusian State Pedagogical University and Northwest Normal University.

The Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and Lingnan Normal University signed an agreement on the establishment of the research center of the Belarusian-Chinese culture and philosophy.

BSU together with Henan University will offer a joint undergraduate program in international journalism. Based on another agreement, the universities will develop a joint 1+1 master’s program.

BNTU and Northeastern University signed a letter of intent for cooperation in the implementation of a joint program in the field of science and technology.

In addition to the agreements in the field of education, the two countries’ major universities have cooperation agreements on the exchange of students and teachers. To date, educational institutions of Belarus have more than 100 bilateral agreements with universities and research organizations of China. “Our meeting will give a strong impetus to bilateral cooperation in the field of education and will become a source of new joint projects and initiatives,” Igor Karpenko said.