BLCU Tokyo College marks 10th anniversary, shaping future bilingual leaders

Beijing Language and Culture University Tokyo College celebrated its 10th anniversary on Tuesday. Jointly established by BLCU and Japan's WEWORLD Inc, the college is the first overseas branch of a Chinese university in Japan. It stands as a milestone in the internationalization of Chinese higher education and a major step forward in educational exchange and cooperation between China and Japan.

Du Kewei, minister-counselor at the Chinese embassy in Japan, expressed hope that both sides will continue to collaborate sincerely, enabling high-quality Chinese higher education resources to take root and flourish in Japan. This, he said, would help lay a foundation of public support for the long-term development of China-Japan relations and cultivate a new generation to carry forward the cause of friendship between the two countries.

Du suggested that BLCU Tokyo College, as a vital platform for people-to-people exchanges between China and Japan, should continue to deepen cultural understanding and academic exchange among young people.

The college hosts a variety of exchange activities each year. These include academic lectures and teaching demonstration sessions aimed at enhancing the Chinese language teaching skills of instructors in Japan, exchange visits between Chinese and Japanese teachers and students, as well as public lectures on topics such as China's world cultural heritage, traditional crafts, and the country's magnificent landscapes.

Masaaki Ogino, CEO of WEWORLD Inc, the operator of BLCU Tokyo College, said at the celebration, "As a private company engaged in human resource development, we firmly believe that ongoing grassroots exchanges are the key to peace and development between Japan and China."

The talented individuals nurtured at BLCU Tokyo College are expected to play an increasingly important role not just in Japan and China, but on the global stage, he added.

Rie Wakiyama, an 18-year-old student from Hokkaido, is currently studying pinyin at BLCU Tokyo College. Starting in April, she will spend 10 months learning Chinese before continuing her education in medicine at Peking University Health Science Center in Beijing. Wakiyama shared that she hopes to pursue her medical studies in both Chinese and English, with the goal of working in Singapore after graduation.

Ogino said: "We will continue nurturing the next generation of bilingual Japanese-Chinese leaders who can contribute to the international community. We will also promote higher-quality education, offer intercultural exchange opportunities, and enhance overseas study programs."

Zhang Baojun, vice-president of BLCU, said that Tokyo College draws on the high-quality educational resources of both China and Japan and upholds the university's motto of spreading moral values through language and promoting global harmony through linguistic communication.

Students at BLCU Tokyo College come from various countries including Japan, Vietnam, Mongolia, Myanmar and South Korea, exemplifying the university's global vision and spirit of inclusiveness, Zhang said.

According to Song Hongfang, dean of BLCU Tokyo College, over the past 10 years, the college has focused on developing three educational tracks: Chinese language, economics and trade, and bilingual education. The number of enrolled students has grown from just a few dozen at the beginning to nearly 300.

As of the end of March, the college has graduated 370 students, many of whom are now active in China-Japan trade, education, culture, and other fields.

Song also announced that the college is about to launch a joint program with the main BLCU campus to offer a master's degree in international Chinese language education. Additionally, a new dual-language program — two years in Beijing and two years in Tokyo, studying both Chinese and Japanese — is expected to begin enrolling students soon.