Belhoul Al Falasi Discusses Strengthening Cooperation with Chinese Vice Minister of Education Dubai,
October 13th - His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, met today with His Excellency Chen Jie, Vice Minister of Education of the People's Republic of China, at the Mohammed bin Rashid Library in Dubai.
The meeting took place in the presence of His Excellency Zhang Yiming, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the country, and His Excellency Li Zuhang, Consul General of China, along with senior representatives from the Chinese Ministry of Education and high-ranking officials from the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Education.
During the meeting, both parties discussed frameworks aimed at enhancing cooperation between the two friendly countries in all areas of the educational process. This included developing student and teacher exchange programs, expanding scholarship programs to Chinese higher education institutions, encouraging Chinese universities to establish branches in the United Arab Emirates, and enhancing collaboration in higher education. The discussions also revolved around mutual recognition of certificates, expanding cooperation between Emirati and Chinese higher education institutions by offering joint academic programs, as well as working on the development of digital education and supporting the teaching of the Chinese language in the United Arab Emirates.
The meeting also addressed aspects of joint cooperation and developments in the Chinese language education program in the United Arab Emirates, which aims to strengthen cultural and educational exchanges. As of the 2023/2024 academic year, the number of students enrolled in the Chinese language program in the United Arab Emirates has reached 64,778 in 170 schools. Both parties signed three memorandums of understanding in the fields of education and pedagogy.
According to data derived from the Research and Education Data Center for the 2022/2023 academic year, regarding the attendance and participation of Chinese students and faculty members in the administrative and educational teams of the United Arab Emirates, 2,345 students and 217 employees were enrolled in public education in public and private schools. As for higher education, it recorded 752 students and 192 staff members.
The meeting is part of the United Arab Emirates' preparations to participate in the activities of the third Belt and Road Initiative Forum, which Beijing will host on October 17th and 18th. The education sector will be one of the main focal points of the forum.
