Dr Tang, Prof Kong conferred upon with ‘Sitara-e-Imtiaz’ at Pakistan Embassy, Beijing

Beijing: On behalf of the President of Pakistan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque conferred Pakistan’s civil award ‘Sitar-e-Imtiaz’ upon Dr. Tang Mengsheng, Director, Pakistan Study Center, Peking University, Beijing and Prof Kong Julan, Professor of Urdu Literature, Peking University, Beijing in a special investiture ceremony held on Wednesday here at the Embassy of Pakistan.

The event was attended by the senior officials,professors and students of Peking University, representatives of media organizations and officers of Pakistan Embassy.

Speaking at the occasion, Ambassador Moin ul Haque paid a tributes to Dr. Tang Mengshengand and Prof. KongJulan for their valuable contributions in strengthening China-Pakistan friendly ties especially in the realm of culture, education and people-to-people exchanges.

He also praised the close association of the two scholars with Pakistan over the past 50 years, especially for promoting Urdu language and literature in China.

In their remarks, Dr Tang and Prof. Kong expressed their gratitude to the government and people of Pakistan for the conferment of civil award.

The two scholars stressed that Pakistan and China were all weather strategic cooperative partners and iron brothers, and hoped to continue to play their role in further cementing friendship between China and Pakistan and promoting people-to-people and cultural cooperation.

Prof. Tang Mengsheng is currently the Director of Pakistan Studies Centre at the prestigious Peking University of China. He conducted research on history, politics and culture of Pakistan.

He also, served as the senior visiting scholar at National University of Modern Languages (NUML) and Punjab University.

He is an ardent supporter of deepening Pakistan-China cultural and educational linkages.

In his capacity as the Director of Pakistan Study Centre, he has played a key role in inspiring younger Chinese generation to learn Urdu and undertake research on several facets of Pakistan’s society and culture.

Prof. Kong Julanis one of the China’s top tier academicians of Urdu literature, engaged with notable Chinese Universities, all across the country.

She teaches Urdu literature at the School of Foreign Languages, Peking University.

Her research work includes a vast array of topics ranging from folk stories of Urdu, ethnic diversity in modern Pakistan and Suffism.

In recent years, her crowning achievement and enduring service to Urdu language is to publish the Urdu Chinese Dictionary.