On October 26, 2016, a delegation led by Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, the Executive Director of School Operations of the Abu Dhabi Education Council from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), visited PKU. Ali Ghanim Al Arai, Director of the Study Abroad Scholarship Directorate and Ahmed Abdullah, Head of Admissions and Registration of the Study Abroad Department were part of the delegation. Dr. Li Yansong, Vice President of PKU, Professor Fu Zhiming, Vice Dean of the School of Foreign Languages, and Professor Lin Fengming, Director of Arabic Languages Department represented PKU to extend a warm welcome to the delegation at Linhuxuan.
At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Li gave a brief introduction of foreign students currently studying at PKU. He said PKU is an open university which welcomes students with multicultural backgrounds.
Later, the two sides exchanged information about scholarships for available for UAE students to study in China. Dr. Li explained the three main methods in detail: scholarships supported by the Chinese government, by the city of Beijing and by the Confucius school.
Both sides agreed that language is the main barrier for UAE students to study at PKU. To tackle this problem, Professor Fu stated that PKU offers language programs for overseas students. Once students pass the Chinese language exam after their language studies, they may apply to become full-time students at PKU.
Professor Li went on to emphasize that language is not only a tool but also an integral part of culture, even serving as an embodiment of a whole nation. It is important for foreign students to learn about China by first learning the language. Only in this way can they maximize their experience at PKU.
Finally, the UAE delegation spoke highly of China’s achievement in space science. They look forward to increased cooperation in this field in the future. More importantly, they stated that most UAE students who study abroad go to the United States or the United Kingdom, and they sincerely hope that in the coming years that the UAE can send more students to China. Dr. Li also extended PKU’s heartfelt gratitude to the delegation for its visit and said that PKU is always open to students from diverse cultural backgrounds.
To conclude the meeting, the two sides exchanged gifts. On behalf of PKU, Dr. Li presented a book about China-Middle East relations and a picture album of PKU to the delegation. In return, the delegation presented a delicate handicraft of an Oryx leucoryx, the symbol of UAE.
Written by: Kuang Huolingxiao
Edited by: Dohun Na
