Peking University, February 20, 2023: From February 7th to 14th, Sun Qingwei, vice president of Peking University (PKU), led a delegation to visit Qatar and Saudi Arabia in an effort to strengthen cultural and educational ties.
 

Peking University has had a long-term cooperation with Qatar University (QU). The two universities established the State of Qatar Chair in Middle Eastern Studies at Peking University (the Chair), and the Chair was linked with the School of Foreign Languages at PKU and the College of Arts and Sciences at QU.

On February 8th, the PKU delegation visited QU, where the two sides held talks on intercollegiate exchange, academic collaboration, and exchange student programs under new situations. They also agreed to strengthen dialogue and exchanges among Asian civilizations to promote harmonious co-existence of civilizations. Professor Sun conveyed the invitation of the Beijing Forum in November 2023, an international forum sponsored by PKU.


The PKU delegation paid an official visit to Saudi Arabia from February 10th to 13th. At headquarter of the King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh, Professor Sun held talks with the Secretary General of the library Faisal Muaammar, the general secretary of China-Saudi Cultural Cooperation Award of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Abdual Muhsen Ogehry, and other scholars and functionaries. They reviewed and summarized the advancement and rapid development of the King Abdulaziz Public Library Branch in PKU in the past five years. And they had an in-depth discussion pertaining to the 5th anniversary of the inauguration of the King Abdulaziz Public Library Branch in PKU, the establishment of China-Saudi Cultural Cooperation Award of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the intertranslation of Chinese-and Arabic books. Both sides agreed to strengthen solidarity and conduct multilevel cooperation based on the King Abdulaziz Public Library Branch in PKU, making contributions for China-Saudi cultural cooperation.


At King Saud University, the PKU delegation visited the University’s president Badran Omar. The two sides believed that the two universities should respond to the 2022 China-Saudi Arabia Issue Joint Statement positively. They discussed strengthening teaching cooperation on Chinese and Arabic between universities and enlarging new fields of cooperation, including art, medicine, and engineering technology. They also discussed promoting cultural exchanges between Saudi Arabia and China and mutual understanding between their people.

PKU will continue to promote cultural and educational exchanges between Saudi Arabia and China and explore more new areas and ways of collaboration. It will also work to make more outstanding contributions in accordance with the Eight Major Initiatives on China-Arab practical cooperation at the first China-Arab States Summit.

Written by: Chen Chuyun
Edited by: Meng Bin
Source: PKU News (Chinese)