On June 26th, Argentina’s Ambassador to China, Diego Ramiro Guelar, visited Sichuan University, where he met with SCU President Li Yanrong. Vice President Yan Shijing joined the meeting while faculty and staff from SCU’s Human Resource Department, Department of Social Science Research, International Office, College of Foreign Languages, School of International Studies, Institute for Latin American Studies and other colleges and departments also attended.

During their meeting President Li Yanrong introduced the Ambassador to the state and development of international relations and various regional area studies at SCU, highlighting in particular the progress of the Institute for Latin American Studies and the Spanish Language Department. Sichuan University, as Li pointed out, launched its Spanish language program in 2010 to train students with a foundation in the humanities who wanted to study an additional western language; the Institute for Latin American Studies, which was founded in 2015 to undertake extensive research on Sino-Latin American relations, as well as Latin American literatures and cultures, has already produced substantial results. President Li hopes that Ambassador Guelar will continue to keep an eye on developments at SCU and support its research on Latin American – particularly Argentine – culture and the work of the Spanish Department in promoting strategic relations between Sichuan University and leading universities in Argentina and offering vital contributions to Sino-Latin American cultural collaboration and exchange.

Ambassador Guelar thanked President Li for his university’s efforts in promoting Latin American studies and building a strong Spanish language program. Sichuan University, the Ambassador noted, plays an important role in connecting his country with China and Chinese culture and has also made invaluable contributions in the promotion of educational exchanges and cooperation between universities in Argentina and top Chinese institutions of higher learning. The Ambassador looks forward to the two countries’ deepening and extending their cultural and educational collaboration and working towards a stronger, fruitful bilateral relationship.

During the meeting, the two sides further discussed plans on educational exchanges and collaborating on a jointly launched, international Latin American research forum.

President Li Yanrong presented Ambassador Guelar with a letter appointing the Ambassador visiting professor of Sichuan University.

On the same morning, the delegation from Argentina led by Ambassador Guelar toured the Spanish Department at SCU’s College of Foreign Languages, where they visited a Spanish language class and the Ambassador gave a highly informative talk on “Argentine-Chinese Cultural Relations.”