JXNU president attends Confucius institutes joint conference in Africa

Mei Guoping, president of Jiangxi Normal University (JXNU), attended the 2017 Joint Conference of Confucius Institutes in Africa from May 18 to 19.

Mei Guoping (third from left), president of Jiangxi Normal University attends the 2017 Joint Conference of Confucius Institutes in Africa. [Photo/jxnu.edu.cn]

Mei had discussions on topics such as how to promote cultivation of local teachers, vocational skills training and Sino-foreign enterprises cooperation at the conference. He also met with the deans of Confucius Institutes in Antananarivo University, Madagascar, to review their current conditions and further development plans.

Talks on university-enterprise cooperation and enrollment of international students were held between Mei and Hu Zhiliang, head of the Zambia office of China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation.

At the conclusion of the joint conference, Mei visited the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences -- the first large comprehensive science and education organization established by the Chinese government in foreign countries -- to discuss strengthening science and research cooperation in fields such as bio-diversity protection and sustainable utilization, water resources and environmental protection, geosciences and remote sensing monitoring with the center’s Chinese and foreign representatives. The two sides also agreed to cooperate on joint cultivation of postgraduates and doctoral talents.

The conference, held in Lusaka, was hosted by the Confucius Institute Headquarters and organized by the Confucius Institute at the University of Zambia. It attracted more than 240 people, including university presidents and deans of Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms from 35 countries as well as representatives of Chinese and African enterprises and organizations.