A strategic cooperation agreement was signed between Beijing International Studies University (BISU), the 10th division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps(XPCC), and Shihezi University during a meeting in Beitun. The signatories were BISU President Ji Jinbiao, Political Commissar Yan Weihua, and Shihezi University CPC Committee Secretary Xu Shandong.

Attendees of the meeting hold discussions.

During the meeting, Ji elaborated on BISU's founding background, educational positioning, historical development, disciplinary development, talent cultivation, social services and platform construction. 

He noted that initiated by China's late Premier Zhou Enlai, BISU was founded in October 1964. Jointly established by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Beijing Municipal People's Government, BISU serves as a crucial national base for cultivating talents and conducting research in fields such as foreign languages, translation, tourism, economics and trade. 

It has built a comprehensive research institution system spanning multiple disciplines and has built a number of research centers such as the China-Arab Center for Cultural and Tourism Cooperation Studies, according to Ji. 

The university will continue to cultivate compound talents with "multilingual areas of proficiency and cross-disciplinary competence", imbued with patriotism and a global vision, he added. 

He also hoped that the three parties would strengthen cooperation to advance the agreement on strategic cooperation, strengthening collaboration in areas such as regional studies, faculty exchanges, joint project applications, academic conferences and internationalization.

Xu said that Shihezi University, as the only university in the XPCC included in both the national Double First-Class Initiative and Project 211, shoulders the responsibility of developing distinctive and advantageous industries for the divisions and cities of the Corps, while advancing educational development.

The university, he said, should serve as a vital bridge and link. He expressed the hope of leveraging the disciplinary strengths and educational talent resources of both universities, together with the rich cultural and tourism resources of Beitun in the 10th division to advance the agreement on strategic cooperation.

The goal, he stressed, is to foster a tourism brand with strong regional characteristics and to promote the integrated development of culture, tourism and education.

Yan, on behalf of Beitun, expressed gratitude for the support from Shihezi University and BISU and introduced the city's cultural and tourism resources as well as future cooperation opportunities.

She noted that since forming a strategic partnership with Shihezi University in 2024, the two have cooperated extensively in talent cultivation, scientific research, education, healthcare and cadre exchanges.

She emphasized that the establishment of this tripartite cooperation mechanism is of great significance to the high-quality development of tourism, sports and education in Beitun, and she expressed the hope that the opportunity would foster a new model of university-city collaboration and innovation.

A cooperation agreement is signed at the ceremony.

During the visit, Ji and his delegation conducted inspections and research at the new campus of Beitun Vocational and Technical School, the Beitun Economic-Technological Development Area and the local villages to learn about Beitun's ecological civilization construction, urban planning, and other fundamental conditions, as well as its cultural and tourism resources, laying a solid foundation for future cooperation.

During the visit, Li Jiashan, a BISU professor delivered a lecture on Promoting the High-Quality Development Through Higher-Level Opening Up of the Cultural and Tourism Industry in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.