BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 14. On March 14, another phase of distance Chinese language education at Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC) was inaugurated, Trend reports.
The event was attended by Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Arzu Aliyeva, Ding Tao, Chargé d'Affaires of the People's Republic of China in Azerbaijan, as well as teachers and students of the university.
In his opening remarks, UNEC Rector, Professor Adalat Muradov welcomed the guests and expressed gratitude to Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva on behalf of the students.
Ding Tao, China’s Charge d'Affaires in Azerbaijan, hailed the successful development of relations between Azerbaijan and China in all areas.
“I am greatly pleased to participate in the inauguration of the Distance Chinese Language Teaching Center at Azerbaijan State University of Economics today. Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China and President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan, China-Azerbaijan relations are rapidly developing. With the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and its Vice-President Leyla Aliyeva, distance Chinese language courses have been operating since 2019 within the framework of the Confucius Institute at Azerbaijan University of Languages. To date, more than 500 students have attended these courses. Over the past seven years, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation has played an invaluable role in preserving national identity and contributing to economic and social development, becoming a proud symbol of Azerbaijan. The Foundation maintains close cooperation with the Chinese Embassy in Azerbaijan and implements projects aimed at improving the well-being of both nations. At the same time, it has made significant contributions to strategic cooperation between the two countries,” Ding Tao emphasized.
He then congratulated the participants on the occasion of the Novruz Holiday.
Joining the event virtually, Dr. Agshin Aliyev, Head of the Azerbaijani Language Department at the Faculty of Asian Studies of Beijing Foreign Studies University, initiator and chair of the conference, stated that the Distance Chinese Language Teaching Center had started operating years ago.
"Leyla Aliyeva’s personal participation in today's inauguration of the distance Chinese language courses is a great motivation for everyone. On behalf of myself and my students, I express my deep gratitude. While five years ago, students viewed these courses as a hobby, today, an increasing number see them as a path to academic knowledge and career development. Interest in the Chinese language in Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani language in China is growing year by year," he added.
Following the speeches, Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva toured the exhibition presented at UNEC’s library, where they also viewed samples of Chinese culture.
At the end of the event, the students expressed their best wishes to Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva and thanked them.
The distance learning of the Chinese language at UNEC has been organized since 2019 under the initiative of Leyla Aliyeva.
The training, organized with the joint partnership of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, UNEC, the Confucius Institute at Azerbaijan University of Languages, and Beijing Foreign Studies University, lasts for three months at each level, from beginner to intermediate.
During the courses, textbooks published in China are used. Each lesson consists of pronunciation rules, new words, texts, grammar, dialogues, reading exercises, translation, and work on hieroglyphs. Additionally, students are provided with extensive information about Chinese culture according to the subject.
Currently, the curriculum has been further optimized compared to previous years. The new curriculum is entirely focused on HSK (Chinese Language Proficiency Test). Students who successfully complete the distance courses can participate in the international Chinese language proficiency exam.
