On May 10th, Professor Aziz Tuffi Saliba, Director of the Office of International Affairs from Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil, along with Leandro Rodrigues Alves Diniz, Director of the Confucius Institute at UFMG, and two others, visited HUST. Chen Jie, Director of HUST's Office of International Affairs, met with the delegation.
Chen Jie, in her remarks, extended a warm welcome to the UFMG delegation, highlighting that the visit marked the first in-person meeting between HUST and UFMG in the post-pandemic era. In recent years, she said, UFMG and HUST have joined forces to establish the Confucius Institute, a platform to spread the Chinese language and culture, and fostered a robust inter-university relationship. Chen also stated that the visit served as a fresh opportunity for future cooperation between the two universities, expressing optimism on yielding fruitful outcomes in various areas of HUST-UFMG cooperation, including multidisciplinary research cooperation, the establishment of joint laboratories, and joint applications for government-funded science and technology cooperation projects.
Professor Saliba expressed his gratitude for HUST's warm reception and conveyed deep admiration for the remarkable development and resilience before and after the pandemic in China, particularly in Wuhan. Emphasizing the resounding success of the collaborative efforts between UFMG and HUST over the past decade, he underscored the importance of expanding the scope of cooperation in the future. Saliba also invited students from HUST to engage in exchange programs at UFMG, calling for the fostering of academic camaraderie and scholarly collaboration between the two universities. He envisioned these endeavors as pivotal contributions to strengthen the bond between China and Brazil.
After the meeting, the four visiting professors from Brazil, respectively, visited the School of Law, School of Pharmacy, School of Foreign Languages, School of Medicine and Health Management, and School of Life Science and Technology. They met and discussed with relevant professors regarding opportunities of academic exchanges and cooperation.
The School of Law discussed potential collaboration with Professor Aziz Tuffi Saliba on jointly establishing a center for training legal professionals in international affairs. The School of Foreign Languages had exchanges with Professor Leandro Rodrigues Alves Diniz to gain a deeper understanding of each other's areas of research. Professor Mônica Viegas Andrade explored potential bilateral cooperation opportunities with the School of Medicine and Health Management and visited Tongji Hospital to discuss issues related to Sino-Brazilian digital hospitals with master’s and doctoral students. Professor Fernão Castro Braga visited the National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine and delivered a lecture to faculty and students at the School of Pharmacy.
In 2013, a collaboration between HUST and UFMG in Brazil gave rise to the establishment of the Confucius Institute (CI), marking one of the three CIs formed through the partnership with HUST. The CI at UFMG, firmly embedded within the local community, has been dedicated to the propagation of Chinese language and culture, nurturing talents with a profound understanding of Chinese language and Chinese culture. A celebration will be hosted this November in Brazil by the two sides for the CI's 10th anniversary. UFMG dispatches students to HUST for academic exchanges on an annual basis. Notably, four students from HUST's School of Humanities and School of Foreign Languages have previously engaged in summer camp programs hosted at UFMG. Moreover, scholars from both universities have fostered cooperation in various fields such as economics and urban planning.
Written by: Zhang Shiyu
Edited by: Hu Zhenxiang, Chang Wen, Peng Yumeng
Chinese
