On December 16, the Closer Partnership, Better Future—2021 China-Latin America and Caribbean Presidents Forum, hosted by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) and organized by the CLEC-Latin American and Caribbean Centre (LACC), successfully launched online.

Prof. Deng Yiqun, Vice President of South China Agricultural University (SCAU) was invited to attend the forum and delivered a speech. He delivered a report titled “Promoting Chinese + Agricultural Education in Latin America, Empowering China-Latin America Agricultural Education and Research Innovation”. He said that the China-Latin America Agriculture, Education, Technology, and Innovation Alliance (CLAERIA) led by SCAU would jointly build the Chinese + Agricultural Education and Research Center in Latin America with Latin American universities, which would deepen exchange and cooperation in higher education between China and Latin America and the Caribbean. It would center on Chinese language teaching, cultural exchange, agricultural education, scientific and technological cooperation, cooperative education, and technical training and country/region studies. The report received an active and overwhelming response from the Chinese and Latin American participants.

Dr. Jing Wei, Deputy Director-General of CLEC attended the seminar and delivered a speech. She said that based on the actual needs of universities, the CLEC is willing to support universities in Latin America to set up Chinese-related majors, and also support Chinese and foreign universities carrying out Chinese + Major and Major + Chinese programs. At the same time, the Center will assist professional international Chinese education institutions with Chinese language teacher training, develop teaching resources, employ the New-Sinology plan, provide international Chinese teacher scholarships, etc., so as to meet the needs of Chinese teaching in universities in Latin America and the Caribbean and the demand of the Chinese studies. The CLEC will promote sustainable, high-quality development of Chinese education in the region and contribute to mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and Latin American peoples.

Roberto Lafontaine, Director of the Latin American Center, served as the event's anchor. University representatives from China, Latin America and the Caribbean, including Ivan Rodriguez Chavez, President of the University of Ricardo Palma in Peru; Jacky Lumarque, President of Kisquia University in Haiti; Sebastián Rodriguez, Vice President of the University of St. Thomas-Chile; Luis Antonio Paulino, Dean of the Confucius Institute of University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Zhao Hongwei, Vice President of Jilin University in China shared their experiences and made suggestions on issues such as the construction of Chinese language majors in universities in Latin America and the Caribbean, the mode and process of establishing Chinese language majors discipline through cooperation between Chinese and foreign universities, difficulties in the construction and development of Chinese language education, obstacles, and needed support policies.

Representatives from all regions agreed that the seminar opened up new ideas for the professional construction of international Chinese language education in Latin America. In the future, the CLEC and universities at home and abroad will make full use of their respective resource advantages to carry out close cooperation and jointly promote the professional development of international Chinese education in Latin America.

CLEC is a non-profit professional educational institution for international Chinese language education, affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE). The CLEC is committed to providing quality services for people from all over the world to learn Chinese and understand China. It also intends to build a platform for friendly collaboration on language education and cross-cultural learning.  

This is the first time that CLAERIA has been invited to attend the cultural exchange event, which provides an excellent opportunity for conducting language + agricultural education with partner universities in Latin America under the framework of the alliance.

Prof. Chen Letian, Director of the International Office, Ms. Yuan Juhua, Deputy Director of the International Office, representatives of Chinese language programs and teachers from universities, primary and secondary schools and some educational institutions from more than 20 Latin American countries joined the forum.