Cultural and educational exchanges between China and the UAE strengthened

Dubai, UAE, March 23, 2019:  On Friday 22nd of March, the UAE-China Higher Education Forum: Toward a New Model for Global Integration was successfully held at the Science Auditorium, Peking University. The event saw joint cooperation between the UAE Embassy to China; The Middle East Studies Center and the School of Foreign Languages at Peking University, China; and American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. 

The forum’s focus was upon shedding light on UAE Higher Education to Chinese educators, students, parents, and scholarship officials. A musical performance was also carried out at the event featuring talented students from Peking University, as well as Sheikh Zayed Center for Arabic language and Islamic Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University. 

His Excellency Dr. Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates in the People’s Republic of China said: “Under the framework of the Belt and Road initiative, the UAE and China are enjoying increasingly close economic and social ties. Today’s event is part of a concerted effort by both governments to boost numbers of exchange students, underpinned by the aim to share knowledge.”

He continued, “Education and research are closely linked, so exchange programmes are not only highly beneficial for students but also research and development between the countries. Exchange programmes have high value in enhancing social exchange and will greatly boost cooperation between our two nations. Intercultural exchange is particularly apt at this time during the UAE’s Year of Tolerance, which honours the belief of our country’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, that the UAE should welcome all religions and nationalities.”

Two panel forums were carried out at the event under the theme ‘Building Globally Minded Higher Education Rooted in Local Contexts’. Panel 1 included a team of experts coming from the UAE and China in the field of education, shedding light about higher education in UAE, its strengths and its appeal. Panel 2 included a mix of students, Chinese students who have studied in the UAE, and UAE students who have studied in China. They spoke about their experiences, not only the academic aspects but also the welcoming aspects of the two respective cultures as well. 

Professor Kevin Mitchell, Acting AUS Chancellor, said: “The UAE is well known as a place where cultures from across the world come together. American University of Sharjah, which is a fully accredited American institution with a strong reputation for academic excellence and a rich student life, has been ranked as having a higher percentage of international students than any other university. Today’s forum is evidence of American University of Sharjah’s continued commitment to providing outstanding opportunities for international students.'  

American University of Sharjah is an independent, non-profit, coeducational institution of higher education, which integrates broad-based liberal arts education with professional education studies. Peking University is a centre for teaching and research that embraces diverse branches of learning such as basic and applied sciences, medicine, social sciences, the humanities and education.