Delegation from Consulate General of Italy in Guangzhou Visits GDUFS

On the afternoon of October 23, Valerio De Parolis, Consul General of Italy in Guangzhou, and his delegation visited Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS). Shi Youqi, Secretary of the Party Committee of GDUFS, met with the guests in the VIP Hall of the Administration Building of the Baiyun Mountain Campus. The two sides held cordial discussions on China–Italy higher education cooperation, language education exchange, as well as on the development of the Italian language program.

Highlight from the Meeting

During the meeting, Shi introduced the university’s running characteristics, achievements in international development, and progress in building the Italian language program. He noted that GDUFS attaches great importance to educational internationalization and has implemented the PRIME Program, which focuses on five major tasks: building high-level international cooperation platforms, accelerating international research and social service, enhancing global influence, innovating international talent cultivation, and optimizing the international faculty structure. The university has established partnerships with 518 universities and institutions across 67 countries and regions and has been listed in the US News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings. Shi highlighted that since its establishment in 2002, the Italian language program at GDUFS has developed into a national first-class undergraduate program, forming an integrated undergraduate–graduate talent cultivation system that has cultivated a large number of professionals for China–Italy educational exchange. He expressed his gratitude for the Consulate General’s long-term support and guidance in the program development and talent cultivation. He also hoped to further promote faculty and student exchanges, strengthen research cooperation, and take the co-hosting of cultural activities such as the Italian Language Week as an opportunity to deepen friendship with Italian universities and institutions, injecting new momentum into bilateral educational, cultural, and economic exchanges.

Mr. De Parolis highly commended GDUFS for its contributions to the development of the Italian language program and for the advancement of the university’s internationalization. He also extended warm congratulations to the university on its 60th anniversary. Having visited GDUFS several times, he said he had witnessed the steady growth of the program and the continuous deepening of bilateral cooperation. He praised the university’s active efforts and achievements in promoting China–Italy educational and cultural exchanges in South China. He added that the Consulate General would continue to serve as a bridge for communication, supporting GDUFS in expanding cooperation with Italian universities and enriching collaborative connotations. He also noted that the China-Italy University Rectors Dialogue to be held in Beijing would serve as an opportunity to elevate the cooperation in higher education between the two countries to a new level.

Group Photo

Representatives from GDUFS’s Office of International Cooperation and Exchange and the School of Global and Area Studies attended the meeting. Afterward, the Consul General and his delegation attended the opening ceremony of the Italian Language Week hosted by the School of Global and Area Studies.