GDUFS Signs Cooperation Agreement with Sōka University

On the morning of May 15, 2015, Kandachi Koichi, the Vice President of Sōka University of Japan, lead the delegation visiting GDUFS and signed a Cooperation Agreement. ZHONG Weihe, President of GDUFS, CAI Hong, Director of the International Communication & Exchange Office, WU Junfeng, Deputy Director of the International Communication & Exchange Office, ZHANG Xiu Qiang, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Asian Languages and Culture, ZHANG Zhigang, Head of the Japanese Department, WEI Lixin, Director of the Institute of Daisaku Ikeda and the Japanese Teachers Asai Yasuko and Asai Osamu, all presented at the ceremony.

ZHONG Weihe meets Kandachi Koichi

President ZHONG Weihe started the conversation by expressing thanks and extending a welcome for coming to GDUFS. According to him, Sōka University is a long-term cooperative partner of GDUFS. President Daisaku Ikeda became GDUFS’s first Honorary Professor in 2001. Communication between the two universities is frequent. Sōka University donated Japanese books to GDUFS, which played a significant role in Japanese language education at our university. Thanks to these exchanges, Japanese language education at GDUFS enjoyed great advances in the past years. President ZHONG Weihe also expressed the idea that this agreement would leave a significant impression on Japanese language and culture teaching and that the International cooperation between two universities would grow. At the end of his speech, he thanked all participants again, and asked Vice President Kandachi Koichi to convey warmest wishes from GDUFS to President Daisaku Ikeda, teachers and students at Sōka University.

Vice President Kandachi Koichi expressed his appreciation on visiting GDUFS. He also noted that Sōka University had established a cooperative relationship with many of China’s universities. Sōka University has always put a high value on exchange activities. He wished that the cooperation may improve Sino-Japanese relationships as well. Additionally, he mentioned that future exchanges between China and Japan will depend on younger generations. Therefore, he hoped for more exchanges and cooperation programmes in order to let young people have a better understanding of each other.

Signing the agreement

President ZHONG Weihe agreed, he noted that young people are the hope and future of a country; and that understandings should be set up through younger generations. As a result, he admired Daisaku Ikeda, the founder of Sōka University, as well as the present President, for his contribution to world peace and Sino-Japanese relationships. He felt honored to be the sponsor for Professor Daisaku to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Exchanging gifts

At the end of the ceremony, they exchanged presents and wished the agreement would serve as a new start of the partnership and as a model for other programmes.