GDUFS Delegation Attended the Unveiling Ceremony of Confucius Institutes at The University of Porto

North Campus, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, May 31^st2019: From May 19^thto 28^th, JIAO Fangtai, Vice President of GDUFS, visited France, Portugal and Spain with his delegation. They visited ESC Rennes and ESC Clermont in France; the University of Porto; ISCTE—the University Institute of Lisbon and Complutense University of Madrid; attended and addressed the veiling ceremony of Confucius institutes in the University of Porto; signed several cooperation agreements; and discussed international cooperation programs in all areas.

Renewing cooperation agreements with ESC Rennes

On May 20^th, GDUFS delegation visited ESC Rennes and communicated with Professor Thomas Froehlicher, the President of ESC Rennes. JIAO introduced the general situation of the development model of the university’s business faculty; its industry-university-research collaborations; and the international cooperation and exchanges programs carries out by GDUFS. He hoped that this visit can strengthen the cooperation between teachers and students, and develop Undergraduate Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in the Running Schools program. Thomas Froehlicher noted that ESC Rennes has triple certifications from AASCB, EQUIS and AMBA and foreign students accounts for half of the school’s students. He said the cooperation and exchange is very fruitful and that the two sides can create more new cooperation programs through their mutual effort.

A Visit to ESC Clermont

On May 21^st, the delegation visited ESC Clermont and was warmly welcomed by Richard Soparnot, Standing Vice President of ESC Clermont, and Helga Foure Joppenn, Dean of the International Program. The two sides discussed programs like the double Undergraduate Degree; the “three plus two” Chinese and French Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree; French student exchanges in China; and Sino-French innovation and entrepreneurship incubators. These discussions reaped many fruits. This May is ESC Clermont’s 100^th anniversary. JIAO expressed sincere congratulations to ESC Clermont on behalf of GDUFS. In addition, the delegation also visited the teaching equipment with the most historical features, libraries and Center of Student Entrepreneurship and discussed some innovation and entrepreneurship programs with the students from the center.

A visit to ISCTE—the University Institute of Lisbon

On May 23^rd, in the ISCTE—University Institute of Lisbon, the delegation had a talk with Maria das Dores Guerreiro, Vice President of the university and Dean of the Business College, as well as related personnel from the Chinese program. The two sides signed an agreement initiating the Double Master Degree in Business Program. They also pointed out that the two universities have set up long-term cooperation relationships and in the future there will be more collaboration on teacher exchanges, cooperative research, and the cultivation of high-level talents. Later, the delegation met with the exchange students from GDUFS who now study in this university and the students also shared details about their life and study in Portugal.

Group photo with the exchange students from GDUFS studying in the University Institute of Lisbon

On May 24^th, the unveiling ceremony for the Confucius Institutes in the University of Portoofficially took place. CAI Run, Chinese Ambassador to Portugal; Pereira, President of the University of Porto; JIAO Fangtai, Vice President of GDUFS; Fernandes, Vice President of the University of Porto; and Veloso, Portuguese Dean of the Confucius Institutes attended the unveiling ceremony.

The unveiling ceremony of the Confucius Institutes in the University of Porto

CAI Run offered his congratulations on the inauguration of the Confucius Institutes in the University of Porto. He said that it is an important step to promoting cultural between the two countries. Nowadays the Sino-Portuguese relationship is flourishing and people from the two countries, especially the youth, should make good use of the platform of the Confucius Institutes and help to strengthen the personal ties between the two nations. He hoped the youth can actively contribute to deepening the friendship and cooperation between China and Portugal and building a community with a shared future forhumanity.

Pereira, President of the University of Porto, said in his speech that the University of Porto is a famous prestigious university, a center for scientific research and talent cultivation in Portugal and across Europe. The establishment of the Confucius Institutes is going to further the promotion of Chinese culture and Chinese teaching in Porto and across the country as well as improve the spread the Portuguese culture and Portuguese teaching in China. JIAO Fangtai, Vice President of GDUFS, said that GDUFS and the University of Porto jointly constructing new Confucius Institutes is going to deepen the cooperation between the two universities in areas including: Chinese and Portuguese language teaching, teacher and student exchanges, and cultural communication. GDUFS and the University of Porto mutually set up the Confucius Institutes as a window to language and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries and make great contributions to spreading Chinese excellent culture and deepening the rapport between China and Portugal.

A visit to Complutense University of Madrid

On May 27^th, the delegation visited Complutense University of Madrid and met with Professor Isabel Duran, Vice President of the university. JIAO briefly introduced the history of GDUFS and the situations of international cooperation and exchange and highlighted the features of the Department of Spain. He attached great importance to the cooperation with Complutense University of Madrid and hoped this visit can deepen the cooperation on exchange of teachers and students, cooperative scientific research and other areas. Isabel Duran noted that the two universities signed the agreement of cooperative framework this January and therefore concrete programs can be further carried forward. The Principle of the Center of the Spanish Language and the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange also introduced the general situationsof the training program of Spain and exams of Siele and DELE.

YI Zongyong, Deputy Division Chief of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange; JIANG Yong, Vice Dean of the School of English for International Business; and YANG Jing, Dean of the Faculty of European Languages and Cultures also attended the meeting.

Background of the News

During President XI Jinping’s state visit to Portugal at 13:00 on December 5^th 2018, XI and Antonio Costa, Prime Minister of the Portuguese Republic, attended the signing ceremony of cooperation agreements between the two countries in constructing Confucius Institutes in the University of Porto. On March 7^th 2019, António de Sousa Pereira, President of the University of Porto, and João Veloso, Vice President, visited GDUFS and signed with SUI Guangjun, Chairman of the University Board, to jointly construct new Confucius Institutes. This marks the official establishment of a Confucius Institute in the University of Porto.

Portugal is located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, covering an area of 92,212 km² with a population of 10.29 million. Its official language is Portuguese. Porto is the biggest industrial and commercial center city in Portugal and it plays important roles in trade, education and travel between China and Portugal.

The University of Porto was established in 1911. It is the biggest education research center in Portugal and in 2018, it ranked the first in Portugal in the Academic Ranking of World Universities. There are 31,000 students and 2,000 faculty and staff. There are 10 faculties such as Physics, Medicine, Engineering, Humanities, Education, and Psychology. In recent years, with the development of the relationship between China and Portugal, the need for learning Mandarin is growing increasingly. In response to the needs, the university applied to jointly construct its own Confucius Institute.

Previously, the University of Lisbon, the University of Aveiro, the University of Minho and the University of Coimbra have respectively set up their own Confucius Institutes. GDUFS has also established Confucius Institutes in Asia, Europe, South America and Africa. The Confucius Institute in the University of Porto is GDUFS’s first Confucius Institute set up within the European Union.