Exchanges and Cooperation Between GXNU and ASEAN Countries

The international exchange and cooperation between Guangxi Normal University and Vietnam can date as far back as 1950s-1960s, when the Yucai Campus was made the site for educating Vietnamese young people during the war time in Vietnam under the solicitude of Chairman Mao Zedong and Chairman Ho Chi Minh. These people, after their return to Vietnam, made their contributions to the war of liberation and the socialist construction in their country. 10 of them became the country’s leaders, over 20 of them high-ranking officials at the ministerial level, and many of them celebrated scholars and successful entrepreneurs. Vietnamese Premier Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung, of the State Council, Mr. Tran Dinh Hoan, member of the Polit-Buro of the CCVCP & Secretary of the Secretariat of the CCVCP, and many other government leaders and officials have visited GXNU.

In recent years, the University establishes itself in Guilin, and is oriented to the world. Taking the advantage of its geographical situation, GXNU has been active in developing extensive cooperation and exchanges with higher institutions and educational establishments in Southeast Asian countries, and has achieved remarkable successes. So far, GXNU has set up international ties for cooperation with over 160 higher institutions in 36 countries and regions. Most colleges and universities GXNU has joint programs with are in ASEAN countries. Of the 716 long-term foreign students studying now at the university, 621 are from Southeast Asian countries (498 from Vietnam, 62 from Thailand, 52 from Indonesia, 4 from Laos, 3 from Cambodia and 2 from Myanmar) and over 40 are from Korea and Japan. GXNU is a university with the largest population of Vietnamese students in China. In the past 10 years, nearly 2000 students from ASEAN countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia have been studying here. Those graduated from the university have found their ways in their careers and making remarkable contribution to the development of their home countries. In addition, there are around 500 teachers and students from Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan and Korea coming to the University for the summer programs of Chinese Language and cultures. As one of the institutions to receive international students granted scholarships by the Chinese Government, Guangxi Normal University has the authority to independently recruit international students of scholarships by China Scholarship Council (CSC) from the ASEAN countries in the Mekong Sub-Region each year starting from 2008 and the number of recruitments will be increasing year by year. Of the over 70 CSC international students studying now at the university, 49 come from Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Meanwhile, the university has worked together with colleges and universities in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, America, Britain, France, Germany and Korea to run joint programs in their variety. For example, “2+2” or “3+1” Joint programs for Bachelor’s Degree in Chinese Language, Chinese-English Bilingual, and Business Chinese with Vietnam, Thailand，Indonesia and Korea, “1+1” Master’s Degree program in Chinese Language, Physical Training and Education with Vietnam and Korea, etc. At the same time, the “2+2” undergraduate program with Vietnam,  Thailand and Korea run at home has enrolled for 5 successive years students 473 in total and sent 260 of them to Vietnam, Thailand and Korea for the last two years’ studies. The students under the said joint programs total over 600. Besides training and sending Chinese volunteers to teach Chinese language overseas, the university has sent over 200 students for overseas internship in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. Also, the university has provided free training for about 10 Vietnamese and Cambodian teachers of Chinese language every year. The positive work in the popularization of the Chinese language and culture overseas has made great contributions to the economic cooperation and development of the Pan-Beibu Bay and the Mekong Sub-Region.

At present, international exchange and cooperation in the fields of culture and education has become a highlight in the university’s performance and also causes great concern in the media domestically and abroad. In April 2007, Guilin TV Station videoed at GXNU a TV program named “ASEAN Flowers Blooming in Guilin”. In June 18, 2007, GXNU held the First International Student-Parent Meeting. These two activities have evoked the giant repercussions in the society. Vietnamese CCTV and the Ho Chi Minh City TV Station have come to the university many times to make special interviews and reports. September 2007, more than 80 reporters from China, Korea, Japan and 10 ASEAN countries attended the "Focus on Guangxi-Beibu Gulf International TV and Radio Coverage", making series of reports about the university and highly evaluating the close exchange and cooperation between Guangxi Normal University and the ASEAN countries and its active role in the promotion of the local economy, education and culture.

Being a modern university open to new ideas, Guangxi Normal University will, based on achievements of the past years, give full play to its strong points, and make greater contributions in the cooperation and exchanges with the Southeast Asian institutions of higher learning, striving for greater success in its educational endeavor and make even greater contributions to international exchange and cooperation and the friendship between China and other countries of the world!