Peking University April 7, 2016: From March 24 to March 27, 2016, Zhu Shanlu, chairman of Peking University Council, led a delegation to the Chinese-Egyptian University Presidents Forum held in Cairo. Zhu also attended the groundbreaking ceremony of Cairo University’s Model Confucius Institute Building, and visited the American University in Cairo.

This visit aimed to enhance mutual understanding for expanding bilateral reciprocal cooperation between Peking University and Egyptian universities.

 
Zhu Shanlu delivering a speech

The theme of the Forum was “One Belt, One Road: the Cultural and Educational Exchange between China and Egypt”, and 19 presidents of Chinese universities and 21 Egyptian university presidents attended the forum.

On behalf of Chinese universities, Zhu delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. He said that over the past thousands of years, Chinese and Egyptian universities has maintained  the core of university culture at the spiritual level, no matter what have changed at the material level. He pointed out that universities of both countries should be proud of the long tradition of their own university education and established cultural confidence, cultural self-consciousness and cultural self-introspection. Moreover, universities should be rooted in the tradition of their own country, and realize a comprehensive innovation of the traditional culture. Furthermore, Zhu called for a continuing cultural communication and cooperation between China and Egypt as well as the universities of both sides.

The groundbreaking ceremony of Cairo University’s Model Confucius Institute Building

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong, who has been on a trip in Egypt, and the president of Cairo University together with Zhu, attended the groundbreaking ceremony of Cairo University’s Model Confucius Institute Building.

The Confucius Institute of Cairo University was founded in 2007 as a result of the cooperation between Peking University and Cairo University. It is the first Confucius Institute in Egypt and Northern African Area, and also the biggest one in Arabian countries and areas. Liu thought highly of the achievement of the Confucius Institute co-established by Peking University and Cairo University. She hoped that the groundbreaking of the Confucius Institute Building would mark a new start for the development of Confucius Institute. Liu also cut the ribbon for “Chinese Higher Education Fair” and visited the exhibition stand of Peking University.

Zhu Shanlu introducing the exhibition stand of Peking University to Vice Premier Liu Yandong

On March 24th, PKU delegation paid a visit to the American University in Cairo, one of the friendly universities of Peking University in Egypt, and had a meeting with Professor Thomason, the former president of American University in Cairo, and other professors. Both sides agreed to collaborate with each other to promote academic communication, increase personnel exchanges, and contribute more to the new development of China-Egypt relation.

The delegation of Peking University visiting American University in Cairo

Written by: Xie Changli
Edited by: Wang Qian
Source: PKU News Center