On the afternoon of March 23rd, the Ambassador of Belarus to the People’s Republic of China, Rudy Kiryl, paid a visit to Sichuan University. Ambassador Kiryl was received by SCU President Li Yanrong, Vice President Yan Shijing and other university leaders.
Welcoming the Belarusian delegation, President Li offered an introduction to the history of the university, its areas of specialization, international partnerships and present state of affairs, pointing out that Sichuan University was among the first institutions of higher education in China to establish a department of Russian and offer its students a Russian major. SCU attaches a high level of importance to its cooperation with Belarus and Belarusian institutes of higher learning, having established cooperative partnerships with Belarusian State University and Francisk Skorina Gomel State University. President Li expressed his hopes that the Belarusian Ambassador’s visit would inspire further cooperation in the areas of scientific research, education and social services, among others, contributing to cultural exchange between the two countries as China advances its Belt and Road Initiative.
The Ambassador expressed his appreciation for the university’s efforts in building and strengthening cultural and educational ties with his country. Aware of SCU’s outstanding reputation in China as a leader in comprehensive university education and scientific research, Ambassador Kiryl anticipates the establishment of the ‘Belarusian Research Center’ at SCU, along with the introduction of Belarusian language and culture courses, marking a sustained commitment to joint education and academic exchanges.
After the meeting, the Belarusian Ambassador visited the Arts Institute for the viewing of a promotional video about Belarusian culture with a group of SCU faculty and students. Ambassador Kiryl then gave a lecture on the topic of the Belt and Road Initiative, during which he also introduced Belarusian culture and recounted the history of the Sino-Belarusian bilateral relationship. The Ambassador outlined the immeasurable value of the Belt and Road Initiative in terms of promoting socio-economic development in Belarus and in the region and solidifying friendly relations between the two countries. He very much hopes that both sides working together in the coming years will deepen mutual understanding and goodwill. To this end, he extended an invitation to SCU students to spend a summer in Belarus as visiting students.
During the Q&A following the Ambassador’s lecture, SCU students showed great interest, asking various questions about Belarusian culture and exchange opportunities in a lively roundtable discussion.
