China's Hebei University of Economics and Business and the Kathmandu University in Nepal Wednesday jointly hosted an opening ceremony for the latter's new Confucius Institute.  

 

This is the first Confucius Institute in Nepal and was approved by the Office of the Chinese Language Council International on May 16. The Hebei Economics and Business University has been tasked with overseeing Chinese language and culture programs for the institute.

 

Pradip Nepal, Minister for Education and Sports, was on hand and spoke about the increasing popularity of the Chinese language among Nepali students and how this would help strengthen relations in terms of education, culture and tourism between the two countries.

 

Wang Ying, the president of Hebei University of Economics and Business, extended her congratulations on the successful establishment of the Confucius Institute and extends "the heartiest welcome to all the students".

 

Wang believes the Confucius Institute will "provide favorable conditions for Nepali students to learn Chinese language, to fully understand China", and "provide a platform for economic development, international exchange, and multivariate cooperation" between the two academic institutions and the two countries in general.

 

Suresh Raj Sharma, vice-chancellor of Kathmandu University, expressed his hope that the non-profit institution would inject quality into areas of Nepalese education, crucial for the nation's development.

 

These areas may include "health sciences, engineering sciences including energy studies, applied sciences like environmental science, biotechnology, pharmaceutical science and other natural sciences, management studies, teacher education and many areas of arts", Sharma points out.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 14, 2007)