President Richard Soparnot and a Delegation from ESC Clermont Business School, France, visit Guangdong University of Foreign Studies

On July 17th, President Richard Soparnot and a delegation from ESC Clermont Business School (ESC) visited Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS). Jiao Fangtai, Vice President of GDUFS met the guests at the VIP Hall of the Administration Building of Baiyun Mountain Campus. Representatives from the International Exchange and Cooperation, as well as the School of Business, held a discussion and exchange with the delegation of ESC.

Jiao warmly welcomed President Richard Soparnot and the delegation, and introduced the history and recent academic achievements of GDUFS. He emphasized that GDUFS is a highly reputable university with distinctive international features. In recent years, GDUFS has continuously pursued reform, innovation, and high-quality development. Jiao Fangtai highlighted the deep integration of foreign language teaching with professional education. In addition to traditional dominant disciplines such as foreign languages, GDUFS promotes the development of other dominant disciplines such as economics and law, forming a disciplinary pattern of “dual-drive” and multi-disciplinary coordinated development of foreign language disciplines and non-foreign language disciplines. Jiao Fangtai also pointed out that GDUFS and ESC have a solid foundation for cooperation. He expressed the potential for further cooperation in terms of faculty exchanges and cooperative research. Additionally, he expressed the hope that ESC could provide guidance and support for the international accreditation of the business programs in GDUFS.

Richard stated that GDUFS and ESC share many similarities in development, which serve as a crucial basis for cooperation. Both universities have already initiated collaborative initiatives in the field of business, including student exchange programs, as well as undergraduate and master’s dual degree programs, with students of GDUFS performing exceptionally well in their studies in ESC. He expressed the desire for both universities to further strengthen cooperation in areas such as faculty exchanges, collaborative research, and student exchanges.

Group photo

After the meeting, Richard and his delegation held discussions with the representatives of the International Exchange and Cooperation, School of Business, and other relevant departments to explore opportunities for promoting non-degree education programs within the existing cooperation framework and in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Education. They encouraged French students and teachers to come to China for exchange and learning. They also explored expanding the dual degree programs to include more fields of study, and enhancing cooperation in areas such as supply chain management and international trade marketing. Furthermore, they discussed the launch of an elite master’s program to attract French majors to pursue an MBA degree, including exchange opportunities in France, and discussed the subsequent development of the program.