The Media Delegation from Southeast Asian Nations Visits GDUFS

On 28, November, at the invitation of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the CPC (ILD), a media delegation consisting of 15 celebrities of media from southeast Asian nations including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei visited Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS).

On the same day, accompanied by LIN Tao, Director of Bureau I of ILD, and JIANG Zhenqin, Press Officer of the Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, the Southeast Asia Media Delegation visited GDUFS. CHEN Jianping, Vice Secretary of the Party Committee of GDUFS, met with the guests. Additionally, the Dean of the Institute for International Education LIANG Xuehong, Vice Minister of the Propaganda Department, CHEN Hongxia, Vice Officer of the Office of International Cooperation & Exchange WU Junfeng, Assistant Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication, HOU Yingzhong, and TAN Xiao, Deputy Director of the Non-general Languages Center of the Faculty of Asian Languages and Cultures, were present.

Mr. CHEN Jianping extended a warm welcome to the delegation. He introduced the historical evolution, the present specialties set-up and the students’ employment of GDUFS for the delegation. Then he mentioned that GDUFS has opened 18 special areas of language study at present, and has established close cooperation with more than 250 overseas universities and academic institutions including colleges and universities in Southeast Asian nations. He also said internationalization is a major feature in the construction and development of GDUFS, and noted that GDUFS will conduct academic exchange and cooperation programs with more countries and regions in the future. Meanwhile, he pointed out that due to the remarkable importance of Guangdong Province in China’s economic development, and the special historical and geographical relationship between Guangdong and Southeast Asian nations, GDUFS will have more opportunities for cooperation and exchange with educational institutions in the Southeast Asian nations.

Afterwards, the media celebrities asked questions about the international features of GDUFS and the attendees of our school answered their questions one by one. When answering the question about the foreign student educational model put forward by Tyrapung Icazal, a senior journalist with Thairath, LIANG Xuehong indicated that the total number of foreign students from 116 countries this year in GDUFS was 2562, an increase of 404 compared with last year and there are five new countries of origin added. He said GDUFS provides good learning facilities and favorable atmosphere for foreign students, has started applying new models for recruiting foreign students who have no knowledge of Chinese and it also has a well-developed system for scholarship aid, which not only can help foreign students improve their Chinese, but also help them receive a four-year full-English education and so that they will have a long-term and highly-effective self-development opportunity.

When the news editor from Radio Televisyen Malaysia(RTM) LIN Yurong asked about the job prospects for students with the Malay specialty, TAN Xiao firstly introduced our future plans regarding the Malay specialty and noted that it is to be set up next year, then he remarked that students majoring in Malay in China are increasing year by year and play an important role in promoting bilateral exchanges in politics, business enterprises and further education abroad.

Too, HOU Yingzhong briefly introduced the School of Journalism and Communication. He said that journalism students of GDUFS have enjoyed a superior position in South China, and that, in recent years, while centering on international communication, the School of Journalism and Communication has carried out many teaching and scientific researches and kept close contact with all facets of the Province of Guangdong, the Central Committee and media abroad. He also said he hopes to collaborate with the present Southeast Asian media in the future.

At last, the delegation visited the Guangdong Research Institute for International Strategies, the Institute for International Education and the Faculty of Asian Languages and Cultures and, as well, left with a deep understanding of the school-running environment and educational career development at GDUFS.