Region deepens educational exchanges

Henan province is attracting high-quality overseas educational resources and making progress in Sino-foreign cooperative educational programs, according to local officials.

To cultivate professionals with an international perspective, the province is encouraging universities and colleges to cooperate with high-level universities worldwide. Officials said that Henan will integrate with high-level international education institutions to provide communication platforms, and to build research centers and international laboratories.

Last March, Henan University of Chinese Medicine worked with Malaysia's Hai-O Group and Linton University College to set up Zhongjing College, the first foreign branch campus to be located in Henan. The college has launched two undergraduate majors since 2017: Chinese Medicine and Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine.

According to official statistics, there are now 240 Sino-foreign educational institutions and programs in Henan. The partners include some of the world's top 500 universities, such as the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, Miami University in the United States, the University of Wollongong in Australia and Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.

In March 2015, Zhengzhou Middle School's Victoria Academy was officially established in Canada's Ontario province, promoting Henan's educational links with the country.

In 2016, Zhengzhou University was enlisted in the Internationalization Model Institute Promotion Project Pilot Unit by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs. The university later became a member of a number of international university alliances, such as the Sino-Russian Language and Culture University Alliance, the Sino-Russian Medicine University Alliance and the Sino-Russian Journalism Education University Alliance.

North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power was selected as a representative to cooperate with other BRICS countries in the treatment of water resources, as well as the pollution and energy sectors.

The BRICS countries are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The French Alliance, which promotes French language and culture globally, came to Henan last April, establishing its first cooperation base at Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics.

Henan is also promoting Chinese language and culture worldwide, raising awareness of its central plain culture globally. Universities and middle schools in Henan are working together with other countries to build Confucius Institutes. Current plans cover institutes in three cities and classes in four cities worldwide. In the last five years, Confucius Institutes and classes have helped more than 20,000 trainees to study Chinese language and expand Chinese cultural influence in many regions, according to officials.

A cultural program integrating martial arts, folk music and dance has been to 19 cities in seven countries, including New Zealand, the UK, Sweden and Italy over the course of five years.

A total of 30,000 audience members were treated to performances organized by Henan.

caoyingying@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/11/2018 page24)