Increased exchanges, scholarships prioritized

Southwest University in Chongqing plans to increase exchanges and develop scholarships with educational institutions in countries included in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The initiative, proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013, is expected to enhance cooperation betweenChinaandCentral Asia, the Middle East, Europe and SoutheastAsia.

“Currently most of our overseas students come from the Belt and Road regions, such as Kazakhstan, Thailand and Vietnam,” said LiuMeng, deputy director ofSWUInternational College. “In the future, the school will make more efforts to attract students from those areas with better scholarship programs.”

Chongqing, the fourth municipality under the direct leadership of the central government, after Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin, stands at a critical juncture linking the hinterlands with neighboring countries, thanks to the Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe International Railway.

from 60 countries and regions study at Southwest University in Chongqing

The nearly 11,180-kilometer link begins inChongqing, crosses the border into Kazakhstan, and passes through Russia, Belarus and Poland before reaching its terminus in Duisburg, Germany.

Asoneofthe“211Project”universities— the top 100 universities in the 21st century supportedbythe central government — SWU excels in pedagogy, psychology and agriculture research.

Since the 1950s, the university has been enrolling international students. Now there are more than 800 students from 60 countries and regions studying at SWU for their bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, or for Chinese language studies.

“By 2020, the number of international students on campus every year will reach 2,000, with 55 percent of them undertaking degree programs,” Liu said.

The school offers a wide range of scholarships for internationalstudents, includingthe Chinese Government Scholarship, Confucius Institute Scholarship, Chongqing Municipal Government Mayor Scholarship and Southwest University President Scholarship.

Local motor giant Zongshen Industrial Group also set up a special program to offer full scholarships to students from Belarus or Russian-speaking countries who pursue master degrees atSWU.

As a member of the SinoRussian Alliance ofPedagogical Universities, a SWU delegation visited Russia in early June to enhance exchanges with counterparts there, including Yaroslavl State Pedagogical University and Moscow City Teacher TrainingUniversity.

SWU has also developed innovative joint programs with Thai universities. Since 2014, students at Panyapiwat Institute of Management can earn credits for studying Chinese at SWU. Khon Kaen University and SWU set up a dual degree program.

“In addition to its academic advantages, SWU boasts firstclass teaching and living facilities for international students,” Liu said.

The garden-style campus at the foot of Jinyun Mountain offersanicestudyenvironment, said Ly Gia Yen from Vietnam.

“I will miss the campus very much after I return to my hometown,” said Ly, a doctoral candidate in pedagogy.