On the morning of December 11, Mr. Otlogetswe Totolo, Vice Chancellor of Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), and Ms. Ma Wenhui, Head of the Office of the International Promotion of Chinese Language, visited Yanshan University (YSU). Zhao Xianfeng, Secretary of the CPC YSU Committee, warmly welcomed Vice Chancellor Totolo and his delegation in Room 2106 of the Century Building. Officials from the Office of International Cooperation and the School of Humanities and Law accompanied Secretary Zhao Xianfeng to the meeting.
Zhao Xianfeng meets with Totolo
Secretary Zhao Xianfeng extended a warm welcome to Vice Chancellor Totolo and his delegation, expressed that YSU actively responds to the national "Belt and Road" initiative (BRI) and attaches great importance to educational cooperation with universities from BRI countries. Secretary Zhao Xianfeng also stated that BIUST is an important partner for YSU in Africa, and the Confucius Institute jointly established by YSU and BIUST will undoubtedly become a significant platform for deepening cooperation between the two sides. Vice Chancellor Totolo expressed gratitude to Secretary Zhao Xianfeng for the warm reception. This visit marks his first visit to YSU since the establishment of friendly cooperation between the two universities. He expressed the hope that, based on the successful operation and development of the Confucius Institute, the two universities can engage in more extensive and in-depth exchanges and cooperation in various fields. Secretary Zhao Xianfeng and Vice Chancellor Totolo exchanged commemorative gifts on behalf of their respective universities, and the attendees from both universities took a group photo together to commemorate the occasion.
Attendees take a group photo
Later, President Zhao Dingxuan and Vice Chancellor Totolo held a discussion in Room 2102 of the Century Building. President Zhao Dingxuan expressed gratitude for the warm reception extended by Vice Chancellor Totolo during his previous visit to BIUST, and that he had been looking forward to Vice Chancellor Totolo's return visit to YSU. He stated that, as BIUST is a young and dynamic university that shares similar disciplines and professional directions with YSU, YSU will fully support the operation and development of the Confucius Institute at BIUST. He believed that there is a broad prospect for cooperation, and that both universities will jointly make positive contributions to the economic and social development of both countries based on their respective development situations. Vice Chancellor Totolo stated that the unveiling ceremony of the Confucius Institute at BIUST jointly established by both universities was a complete success and attracted widespread attention locally, with many media outlets competing to cover the event. He specially presented YSU with some local newspapers that he had collected.
Mr. Totolo presents local newspapers covering the unveiling ceremony of the Confucius Institute to YSU
Mr. Totolo pointed out that BIUST has always attached great importance to Chinese language and cultural education. In recent years, there has been a growing enthusiasm for learning Chinese among BIUST students, with an increasing number of learners. The establishment of the Confucius Institute will further facilitate the development of international Chinese education at BIUST. He expressed the hope that both universities will work together to support the development of international Chinese education, and that various forms of personnel exchanges and research cooperation projects will be carried out based on the Confucius Institute, enabling BIUST to better understand and learn from the advanced experiences in construction and development of YSU and China as a whole.
Meeting venue
After the meeting, President Zhao Dingxuan accompanied Vice Chancellor Totolo and his delegation on a visit to YSU's history museum, the National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Advanced Manufacturing, Forming Technology and Equipment, the library, and the State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology. President Zhao introduced to them YSU's development history and key research achievements, enabling them to have a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of YSU.
At the invitation of the Chinese International Education Foundation and the Center for Language Education and Cooperation under the Ministry of Education, Vice Chancellor Totolo and his delegation attended the first World Chinese Language Conference in Beijing from December 7 to 9, before visiting YSU. This marked the first time that representatives from BIUST were invited to attend the conference since the establishment of the Confucius Institute at BIUST, with Vice President Chen Guoqiang representing YSU at the conference.
The Confucius Institute at BIUST was officially approved on March 28, 2023, and its unveiling ceremony took place on October 31. In the near future, YSU will initiate the selection and dispatch of the Chinese dean, international Chinese language teachers, and international Chinese education volunteers for the Confucius Institute at BIUST. It is expected that the first group of work teams will be selected and dispatched in August 2024.
