The establishment ceremony of BISU Institute for International and Regional Studies and a relevant forum were held in BISU’s Qiushi building on July 15. Nearly 100 participants attended the ceremony online and on site, including leaders from the International Department of the Central Committee of CPC, the Ministry of Education, Beijing Municipal Education Commission and Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality as well as experts and representatives from universities, scientific research institutions,  multinational enterprises and UN institutions in China.

The site of the establishment ceremony [Photo provided by BISU]

Gu Xiaoyuan, chairperson of BISU Council and Ji Jinbiao, vice-chairperson of the council and university president, attended the meeting.

Gu said in her opening speech that BISU is an university co-built by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Beijing Municipal People’s Government as well as featured in foreign languages teaching and tourism sciences. Over the past years, BISU has fruitful achievements in international and regional studies by fully using its advantages in foreign languages and researches.

The establishment of the Institute for International and Regional Studies marks a new stage for BISU’s international and regional studies. She hoped that the institute can cooperate with peer universities and professionals to make greater progresses of international and regional studies in China and contribute Chinese wisdom and solutions to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Gu, Ji, together with Siddharth Chatterjee, UN resident coordinator in China, Liu Chang’an, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Education Commission, Li Hui, deputy director of Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality and Xu Yongji, former deputy director-general of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the Ministry of Education unveiled the nameplate of the institute.

Leaders unveil the nameplate of the Institute for International and Regional Studies. [Photo provided by BISU]

At the ceremony, Dr.Sun Weijia, former Director-General of Department of the International Exchange and Cooperation of Counsellors’ Office of the State Council, was appointed as the director of the BISU Institute for International and Regional Studies.

Chatterjee and Yu Hongjun, former vice minister of International Department of the Central Committee of CPC gave keynote speeches. They highlighted the importance of the international and regional studies, hoping that BISU can meet the global changes to make international and regional studies a hallmark of the university.

Ji Jinbiao announces the hiring decision. [Photo provided by BISU]

Sun hosted the forum on opportunities and challenges of international and regional studies and explained the development vision of the institute.   

Sun Weijia hosts the forum and gives his remarks. [Photo provided by BISU]

In recent years, BISU has accumulated rich experiences generating many research achievements. The institute aims to serve the national strategies and Beijing’s “four centers” strategy (namely center of politics, center of culture, center of international communication and center of sci-tech innovation), focusing on building into a teaching and scientific research institution integrated with talent training, scientific researches and think-tank construction.

Attendees take photo at the ceremony. [Photo provided by BISU]