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On June 15, Armenian State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan and China’s Southwest University (SWU) signed an agreement to enhance cooperation in areas of culture and education.
The agreement establishes the procedure for the exchange of teaching staff members, students, information, scientific material and publications, reciprocal invitations to conferences and seminars, implementation of joint research and short-term education programmes.
ASPU Rector Ruben Mirzakhanyan received the Chinese delegation led by Vice-President of Southwest University Cui Yanqiang.
The interlocutors presented the mission, activities, programmes and courses offered by the two universities in question, stressing that the existing similarity allows them to cooperate in various directions.
“The ASPU is the second university in Armenia according to the number of students and teaching staff members. The University with a three-tier system of education is celebrating its 95th anniversary this year. The main mission of the Pedagogical University is to prepare teachers for schools.
The University has 60 specialties to choose from and has a ‘monopoly’ in specialties like special education, library science, bibliography and dance education,” Ruben Mirzakhanyan said during the meeting.
He added that the ASPU is interested in deepening cooperation and will do everything to establish collaboration with universities in China. Last year’s visit to China with a delegation of the Armenian Ministry of Education and Science and the official meetings held within the framework of the three-day visit also provided a strong stimulus for furthering cooperation in the sphere of education.
During the meeting with the Armenian partners, Cui Yanqiang said they had learned about the ASPU from one of its graduates who is currently taking a postgraduate course at Southwest University.
He added that during the visit to the ASPU Museum, on-campus facilities and the first university-based radio station they got acquainted with the history of the ASPU and its most important events.
“The path and history have a great importance for each university. In China, people tend to think that the older an institution is, the better it must be. In this respect, our universities have similarities: both of them have a mission to train and prepare teachers,” Cui Yanqiang said.
The representative of the Chinese university which offers Bachelor’s degree programmes in 103 majors and at least 100 research programmes invited the ASPU leadership to the picturesque city of Chongqing where Southwest University of China is located, adding that the SWU is one of the best educational institutions in China.
In his speech, Mr Mirzakhanyan noted that although the ASPU had signed a cooperation agreement with the Open University of China, Southwest University was the first institution to send such a high-level delegation to Armenia.
The two sides exchanged souvenirs. Later on, the Chinese delegates had working meetings with heads of ASPU Faculties and subdivisions. They were also introduced to the organization of scientific and educational activities and discussed issues of bilateral interest with their Armenian colleagues.
