The opening ceremony for the Saudi Master's Program for Local Chinese Teachers was held at Beijing International Studies University (BISU) on Oct 15.

The opening ceremony for the Saudi Master's Program for Local Chinese Teachers is held at BISU on Oct 15.

Jing Wei, deputy director of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation under the Ministry of Education, said that with the active promotion of leaders from both countries, educational cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia has made significant progress.

Jing underscored that the center is committed to advancing the training of local Chinese language teachers in Saudi Arabia and expressed the hope that the participants will refine their Chinese teaching skills at BISU, gain a deep understanding of China's rich cultural heritage and return to Saudi Arabia as qualified teachers who will cultivate ambassadors of China-Saudi friendship.

Wei Xubin, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, highlighted that this program is a significant initiative for promoting studying in China and deepening cultural exchanges.

He praised BISU for its achievements in education internationalization and its contributions to the "Study in Beijing" initiative. He further noted that that this program would actively contribute to Beijing's development as an international exchange hub and promote the global engagement of Chinese education.

Ahmed Al-Zahrani, the cultural counselor of the Saudi Arabian Embassy in China, noted that Saudi Arabia has incorporated Chinese into its national education system and is sending teachers to China to meet the growing demand for Chinese language learning.

He encouraged participants to cherish the learning opportunity, comply with Chinese laws and regulations, respect local customs and cultural traditions, and to engage in Chinese education after their studies in order to strengthen the public foundation of China-Saudi friendship.

Li Biyou, secretary of the CPC BISU Committee, welcomed the guests from both countries. He pointed out that BISU has long maintained close ties with Saudi Arabia and has established deep cooperative relationships with the Saudi Ministry of Culture, as well as universities and research institutions in Saudi Arabia.

He said that the university places great importance on implementing the program, coordinating high-quality faculty and organizing effective teaching arrangements. Li spoke of this being an opportunity to further deepen cooperation between the two nations and contribute BISU's strength to promoting mutual learning between the Chinese and Arab cultures.

During the opening ceremony, Zheng Chengjun, BISU vice-president and a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC BISU Committee, briefed the audience on the background and progress of the program.

Faculty and student representatives delivered speeches. A participant from Saudi Arabia said he intended to make the most of his learning opportunity at BISU and to become a young ambassador for spreading Chinese culture and enhancing the friendship between the two countries.

The Saudi Master's Program for Local Chinese Teachers is a major project in Chinese language education cooperation between the education ministries of China and Saudi Arabia.

The program, hosted by BISU, involves 100 participants dispatched by the Saudi Ministry of Education to study at the university from 2025 to 2028.