China News Service, Shanghai, December 8 (Reporter Chen Jing) East China Normal University (ECNU) is one of the first universities in China to cooperate with the government of Saudi Arabia (hereinafter referred to as: Saudi Arabia) and launch the "Saudi Government Scholarship" project.

　　Gu Hongliang, vice president of East China Normal University, said in an interview on the 8th that East China Normal University has continued to cooperate with the Saudi Arabian government and enterprises for 15 years, and has trained batches of young Saudi talents who are proficient in Chinese and understand Chinese society and culture.

Many of them returned to Saudi Arabia and engaged in work and trade with China in local government departments or Chinese-funded enterprises, which played a positive role in promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and Saudi Arabia.

　　Since the signing of the agreement in 2007, East China Normal University has accepted about 220 Saudi Arabian students, among which more than 70 are students who have received Saudi Arabian government scholarships.

"Saudi students are full of interest in Chinese, and many students have entered undergraduate majors such as communication engineering, international economics and trade. Whether it is the Saudi student football team vying for the first place on the field, or the dazzling array of booths at the International Cultural Festival and the ethnic The Saudi students have left wonderful and unforgettable memories for the teachers and students with their unique performances." said Huang Meixu, Secretary of the Party Committee of the International School of Chinese Language and Culture of East China Normal University and Director of the International Education Center.

　　In November 2013, Dr. Saleh, the then Cultural Counselor of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in China, visited East China Normal University.

Ren Youqun, then vice president of East China Normal University, and Counselor Saleh signed an educational cooperation agreement.

The following year, the two parties signed an agreement to establish a preparatory base.

From 2015 to 2016, more than 30 Saudi students entered the campus of East China Normal University to strengthen their Chinese language program.

It is understood that although most of these students are "zero-starters", their Chinese proficiency has been significantly improved in a short period of time through intensive courses, and they choose to continue their undergraduate studies in China.

Huang Meixu introduced that the preparatory base cooperation model provides targeted high-quality courses, laying a solid language foundation for Saudi students, so as to better connect with undergraduate professional study.

　　In June 2022, East China Normal University launched an international Chinese teacher scholarship online training program launched by the Chinese Foreign Language Exchange and Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Education and Chinese Test International in Saudi Arabia, recruiting and training students from King Abdul Aziz University Waiting for 88 students from top Saudi universities.

The school has carefully organized excellent teachers and service teams, created relevant standard courses and Chinese culture courses suitable for the learning style of Saudi students, and helped students improve their Chinese ability and broaden their cultural horizons through multiple interactive online activities.

　　Lan Shu is a graduate of King Abdul Aziz University Business School. She loves Chinese culture very much, likes learning Chinese, and has been trying to learn Chinese by herself.

In June this year, she signed up for the online training program of East China Normal University.

"After participating in this project, my Chinese has improved a lot, because the teacher's teaching method is very interesting, and the explanation is very easy to understand." Lan Shu said.

　　During the interview, the reporter learned that Saudi Arabia has included Chinese in the relevant courses of various schools and education stages in the country, in order to strengthen the friendship and cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia, and deepen the strategic partnership at all levels.

East China Normal University stated that in the future, the school will continue to deepen cooperation and exchanges with Saudi Arabia, contribute to promoting the mutual integration and mutual learning of Chinese and Saudi cultures, and to cultivate young ambassadors of China-Saudi Arabia friendship.

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