BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 16. China’s Minister of Education, Huai Jinpeng, visited the Azerbaijani language department at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) this week, Trend reports via the State Committee on Work with Diaspora.
The visit, part of a broader tour of BFSU — one of the country’s top institutions for foreign language studies — included a meeting with faculty members and students of the Azerbaijani language program. Huai was briefed on the department’s academic initiatives, its role in advancing language studies within the Faculty of Asian Studies, and ongoing collaboration with international partners.
The minister also held a discussion with Aqshin Aliyev, head of the Azerbaijani language department and a Doctor of Philosophy in Philology, who was recognized in 2020 by the State Committee on Work with Diaspora for his contributions to diaspora activities.
Founded in 2016, the Azerbaijani language department at BFSU began as a third-language elective before becoming a full academic major in 2018, following a decision by China’s Ministry of Education. The first class of students — nine in total — completed a four-year program, becoming the country’s first cohort of Azerbaijani language specialists.
The Azerbaijani language department at Beijing Foreign Studies University, one of China’s most prestigious institutions where more than 100 foreign languages are taught, was established in 2016. Originally offered as a third-language elective, Azerbaijani was elevated to a full academic major in 2018 following a decision by China’s Ministry of Education. That year, nine students were admitted through the national university entrance exam, launching the country’s first formal program in Azerbaijani studies.
Students from the program’s inaugural cohort, who studied from 2018 to 2022, took part in a range of cultural and academic initiatives related to Azerbaijan, signaling a broader effort to deepen bilateral educational ties. In September, the university hosted the First China International Conference on Azerbaijani Studies — an event aimed at revitalizing the field, fostering new academic partnerships, and advancing cultural, economic, and diplomatic engagement between the two nations.
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