On September 26, 2014, the Inauguration Ceremony of the Polish Language Program in the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies was held and the ceremony was attended by ZHONG Weihe, the President of GDUFS. Mrs. Daria Lipiska-Nałęcz, Vice Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland, Mr. Tadeusz Chomicki, Ambassador of Poland to China, ZHOU Guoping, the Deputy Director of the Provincial Education Cooperation Department, and LUO Jun, the Deputy Director of the Provincial Office of International Affairs also attended.

Before the inauguration ceremony President ZHONG Weihe extended a warm welcome to the Madam Minister and other distinguished guests, presented general information about the extent of foreign language and other areas of study at GDUFS and expressed his thanks to the Ambassador for the contribution to the

establishment of the Program.Later, both signed the Cooperation Agreement and exchanged gifts. President ZHONG Weihe expressed his expectation of further communication and cooperation in the future.

President ZHONG in talk with Daria Lipiska-Nalecz

Exchanging gifts

On the occasion of this inauguration ceremony, President ZHONG Weihe, Madam Minister Daria Lipinska-Nalecz and LUO Jun, the Deputy Director of Provincial the Office of International Affairs delivered speeches to the audience.

President ZHONG noted that the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies was the first institute in South China to offer a Polish Language Program and the third in the whole of China and this, only after the Beijing University of Foreign Studies and Harbin Northeast Normal University.

The cooperation between Guangdong University of Foreign Studies and Poland started in 2009 when Mr. Tadeusz Chomicki lead a delegation to GDUFS. Now, GDUFS has maintained a cooperative relationship with Gdansk University, Sczecin University and Maria Curie University in Poland. President ZHONG also expressed his wish that students majoring in Polish were very lucky as they served as a platform for the cooperation of the two countries and promised that a short term exchange programme to Poland would be provided to carry Chinese students to Poland in the near future. Although the Polish-language major now only has 2 teachers and 20 students, President ZHONG said he was convinced that the Program would be a great success and that graduates would make significant contributions to the global economic and cultural cooperation between China and Poland.

Mrs. Daria Liplęcz expressed her appreciation for the hospitality shown by GDUFS and, as well, her appreciation for the efforts made. As a result of the differences that exist between China and Poland, for Chinese students to learn Polish, it would be necessary to know more about the Polish culture and to deepen the relationship between China and Poland. She mentioned that to set up a Polish Language Program would be beneficial to both sides considering the close relationship between China and Poland. Additionally, she stated that she would like to congratulate students on the good job security they would enjoy following their graduation.

Following the ceremony all they were invited to attend the ceremony for the founding of the Department of Polish Language and Culture Studies at GDUFS.

The inauguration Ceremony

And then, as a final salute, Madam Minister presented books to the freshmen of the Polish faculty and wished them great success in their studies.