China has played a key role to underscore significance of cultural and educational exchanges via BRI, CPEC: Webinar

Islamabad: Pakistani and Chinese scholars acknowledged that China had played a key role in creating regional awareness to underscore the significance of cultural and educational exchanges via its ventures like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The scholars from Pakistan and China emphasized forging close cultural and educational ties between the two brotherly countries.

The speakers expressed these opinions during the webinar titled “China-Pakistan Cultural and Education Exchanges under BRI,” organized by the Center for BRI and China of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS) and the Pakistan Research Center of Honder College of Art and Sciences.

The webinar aimed to discuss the long-standing, strong relationship between Pakistan and China in terms of their cooperation in culture and education.

In her opening remarks, Farhat Asif, President of IPDS, said that both countries enjoyed a strong all-weather strategic partnership and friendship with exemplary bilateral cooperation. “CPEC is the epitome of such cooperation, thriving in the length and breadth of Pakistan.”

The president also emphasized the strong collaboration in education and cultural exchange between both countries. In this vein, she said that there were 7,000 Pakistani students currently studying at various universities in China.

Professor Tang Jun, Director of the Pakistan Research Center at the Inner Mongolia Honder College of Arts and Sciences in China, highlighted the strong partnership between Pakistan and China.

He said that academic engagement between the two countries was growing with each passing day. Both sides were collaborating to promote the research and development culture and the human resource and were ready to make it an effective part of CPEC’s overall progress.

Dr Safdar Ali Shah, the Director General of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan’s CPEC Cell, shared about latest statistics about education cooperation and exchanges.

Dr Xie Xiaoqing, the Director of the China University of Geosciences’ China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Research Center, said that China offered great potential and opportunities for students to learn and build themselves for the future.

Additionally, Dr Ma Jianfu, Dean of the Pakistan Studies Centre at North Minzu University, explained his own experience of cultural exchange and how the China-Pakistan cultural exchange would help build strong ties between the friendly countries.

Dr Shahid Ahmad Hashmat, Former High Commissioner of Pakistan to Sri Lanka, spoke about the long-standing ties between the two states.

Liaquat Ali Shah, Executive Director and Head of the Policy Division of the Centre of Excellence for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, offered various suggestions to build cultural and educational ties by hosting various forums and joint research projects.

Dr. Guo Yaling, Director of the Pakistan Research Center at Hebei Normal University, in her presentation, traced the routes of culture and heritage in earlier history.

Dr Abdul Sattar, Director of China Study Center, Baluchistan University of Information Technology, Engineering, and Management Sciences, Pakistan, highlighted and explained the support that China Pakistan collaboration offered students in Balochistan.

He added that such cultural and educational collaboration should continue and would help both countries to forge strong ties.

Many students, and faculty members, participated in the webinar and shared their deep interest in building strong ties.