Delegation from New Franco-Chinese Institute Visits GDUFS

On the morning of November 5, Mr. Alain Labat, Vice President of the New Franco-Chinese Institute, led a delegation to Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS). He Chuantian, Vice President of GDUFS, met with the guests in the VIP Hall of the Administration Building of the University Town Campus, where the two sides engaged in friendly exchanges on China–France educational cooperation, student exchange, and cultural mutual learning.

Highlight from the Meeting

During the meeting, He Chuantian extended a warm welcome to Mr. Labat and his delegation, and presented the distinctive features and internationalization achievements of GDUFS. He noted that GDUFS, as one of the “high-level universities with major development support in Guangdong Province,” is known for its strong internationalized school-running features and serves as a major base for cultivating international talent in South China. The university ranks 43rd among liberal arts universities nationwide. Its Foreign Language and Literature subject has been included in the Best Chinese Subjects Ranking released by ShanghaiRanking for consecutive years and currently ranks third. He highlighted that the university has long pursued an internationalization strategy and has established long-term partnerships with 518 universities and academic and cultural institutions across 67 countries and regions. In recent years, GDUFS has been actively contributing to the building of a talent hub in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The university has advanced the implementation of relevant initiatives led by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation under China’s Ministry of Education. He emphasized that GDUFS attaches great importance to its cooperation with the New Franco-Chinese Institute and fully supports programs in faculty–student exchanges and cultural visits. In particular, the proposal to organize faculty–student delegations to visit France is of great significance. He expressed expectations for further expanding cooperation and elevating China–France educational collaboration to new heights.

Mr. Labat spoke highly of GDUFS’s achievements in internationalized education and China–France exchanges. He noted that France has always valued cooperation with foreign universities and reviewed the fruitful outcomes of Sino-French collaboration in education, academic exchange, and cultural dissemination. He highlighted the rapid development of Chinese language education in France in recent years, with Chinese now ranking as the fifth most selected foreign language in French secondary schools. He added that the French Ministry of National Education places great importance on cooperation between Chinese and French universities. Despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic, the number of Chinese students studying in France is steadily recovering, and the French side also looks forward to encouraging more French students to study in China. He emphasized that Lyon, where the New Franco-Chinese Institute is located, is a sister city of Guangzhou, and the institution places great value on cooperation with Guangzhou and the wider Guangdong region. He expressed willingness to work with GDUFS to build broader educational and cultural bridges, further enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between young people of China and France.

Group Photo

Representatives from the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange and the College of Art at GDUFS attended the meeting.