Cairo University President: The visit of Liu Yandong, Vice Premier of China State Council, and her interest in attending the ceremonies of laying down the foundation stone of Confucius Institute new building is evidence on deep Egyptian-Chinese relations.

Prof.Dr. Ashraf El-Shihy, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Prof. Dr. Gaber Nassar, Cairo University President, laid the foundation stone of the new building of Confucius Institute, at Cairo University. Liu Yandong, Vice Premier of Chinese State Council, and Egyptian and Chinese University Presidents, attended the ceremonies of Confucius Institute new building cornerstone placement, on the fringe of the China-Egypt University Presidents Forum 2016. The forum was held on Saturday, March 26, 2016, to discuss cooperation between Egyptian and Chinese Universities in many educational and research fields. 

Liu Yandong, Vice Premier of Chinese State Council, said, in her speech during laying the foundation stone of Confucius Institute new building, at Cairo University, that there is a firm relationship between Egypt and China in different fields, pointing out that Egypt is the first state to establish bilateral relations with China.

Yandong added that the visit of Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the Egyptian President to China, in December 2015, is evidence on honest relations between the two countries, as well as the visit of Xi Jinping, the Chinese President to Egypt, in January, to strengthen cultural, political and economic cooperation relations between Egypt and China. Vice Premier of Chinese State Council confirmed that Confucius Institute – Cairo University serves the cultural cooperation between Egypt and China through what the institute presents in order for Egyptian youth to learn Chinese. Yandong added that, this day, she feels glad and welcomed especially after the shows presented by the students in the ceremonies of laying the institute foundation stone, making it clear that Egyptian youth makes her feel lively. 

Yandong proceeded that here the Egyptian proverb says ،،Man fears time, but time fears the pyramids,, , and this is the Chinese way to Egypt. She said that the relations between the two countries will last until they become eternal pyramids in the hearts of the two peoples.

On his part, Prof. Dr. Gaber Nassar, Cairo University President, welcomed Vice Premier of Chinese State Council and the accompanying Chinese delegation. Cairo University President pointed out that Confucius Institute was established at Cairo University by the support of The China National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (NOCFL) and Peking University under the convention signed in 2007. Nassar added that the institute started enormous and became one of the largest Confucius Institutes in the Arab and African Region. Nassar added that the institute is responsible for teaching Chinese for Arabs and Egyptians. He added that the relations between Egypt and China extend a long history between the two peoples and civilizations, which are the most ancient and glorious at the world level. He pointed out that Confucius Institute has a vital and effective role in cultural and human exchanges in Egypt and the Arab World.

Nassar said that the visit of Liu Yandong, Vice Premier of China State Council, and her interest in attending the ceremonies of laying Confucius Institute new building foundation stone is evidence on deep Egyptian-Chinese relations. He confirmed that China represents an important role in international cooperation, and the relations of cooperation between the two countries should be boosted.

Nassar announced that he issued a decree of appointing a coordinator, at Cairo University, for relations between Cairo University and Chinese Universities, to be in charge of managing scientific and cultural cooperation dossier between Cairo University and Chinese Universities.

On the other hand, Prof. Dr. Gaber Nassar, Cairo University President, signed a cooperation convention with Shandong University on the fringe of China-Egypt University Presidents Forum 2016. The cooperation convention provides for giving effect to and convening workshops and cooperation and training programs, in joint education and research fields, between the two universities in specific, societal fields as well as student exchange.

Confucius Institute cornerstone laying ceremonies witnessed Egyptian and Chinese artistic student shows, as well as an exhibition of higher education photography in China and Confucius Institute.

The activities of China-Egypt University Presidents Forum were launched at Conference Hall – Cairo University, in participation with Egyptian and Chinese University Presidents. Cooperation between Egyptian and Chinese Universities were discussed in many of educational and research fields as well as strengthening scientific relations between Egypt and China in terms of youth exchange, research cooperation and technological innovations.

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