Prof. Georgi Valchev, PhD – Rector of Bulgaria’s Sofia University, Has Led A Delegation to Visit The Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU)

On 10th April 2024, Prof. Georgi Valchev, PhD - rector of the Sofia University in Bulgaria, has led a delegation on a visit to the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU). There, Prof. Valchev has been given a warm reception by Prof. Sun Youzhong – member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee at the BFSU and vice Rector of BFSU.

Prof. Sun Youzhong has introduced the fundamentals about the establishment and the development of the Beijing Foreign Studies University and its School of European Languages and Cultures, and in particular the Bulgarian Language major at the university. He has pointed out that the friendship between China and Bulgaria has been reaping the benefits of a shared long history, as well as that 2024 is the year that has marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bulgaria. In relation to this, Prof. Sun has highlighted that the visit to China by Prof. Valchev and his delegation is one of a commemorative significance in that respect.
Prof. Sun Youzhong has expressed his gratitude to Sofia University for their strong support for the establishment of the Confucius Institute in Sofia and their constant efforts in promoting the Confucius Institute in other Bulgarian universities, primary and secondary schools in order to iniciate and to support the Chinese language education there. He has expressed his hopes that due to the joint efforts of the two universities, the Confucius Institute in Sofia could improve further and could continue to promote the humanistic exchanges between China and Bulgaria.
Prof. Valchev has expressed his deep gratutude to the government of the People’s Republic of China and to the BFSU for their long-term support for the Sofia University and for the Chinese language education in Bulgaria. He has mentioned that an increasing number of Bulgarian primary and secondary students have taken up learning Chinese language and culture. He has shared his ambitions that in the future the Sofia University and the Beijing Foreign Studies University could expand their cooperation in establishing joint PhD students exchange programmes, as well as joint scientific research and academic programmes to further strengthen the exchanges between the two universities.

Before the discussions, the Bulgarian delegation have visited the Museum of World Languages and the Bulgarian Language Teaching and Research Unit together with the teachers and the students enrolled in the Bulgarian language major at BFSU. The discussion with the members of the Bulgarian Unit at the BFSU followed closely afterwards.
Through the visit, the visiting delegation have achieved a deeper understanding of the BFSU management and administration, and the development of its sub-units which has further strengthened their confidence in the prospective close cooperation with BFSU. Students from BFSU who are majoring in Bulgarian language have shared with the members of the delegation their own experience of learning Bulgarian and their determination to become the harbingers of the humanistic exchange between China and Bulgaria in fluent Bulgarian.

The meeting attendees included Prof. Kangalov, Plamen - Rector of the University of Ruse; Assoc. Prof. Atanasova, Desislava - vice-Rector of the University of Ruse; Prof. Stoykova, Blaga - vice-Rector of the Trakia University in Stara Zagora; Prof. Neli Grozeva -vice-Rector of the Trakia University in Stara Zagora; Mrs Koleva, Aksinia – the Bulgarian director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, as well as the headmasters of the Maksim Gorki Secondary School in Stara Zagora, The William Gladstone18th Secondary School in Sofia, The Petar Bogdan Secondary School in Montana; The Geo Milev English Language School in Burgas, The Bacho Kiro101st Secondary School in Sofia, The Vocational School for Computer Systems And Technologies in Pravets, The Tsar Simeon the Great Secondary School in Vidin, Mrs. Ke Jing - Director of the School of European Languages And Cultures, Mrs. Lin Wenshuang – vice-Director of the School of European Languages And Cultures, Zhang Tianwei - Director of the Research Department and Zhang Xin from the Administrative Department of the Confucius Institute, etc.

Source: Beijing International Chinese Newsletter 

English translation: Maya Kostadinova

Picture 1. The Bulgarian delegation led by Prof. Georgi Valchev, PhD on their visit at BFSU.

Picture 2. The Bulgarian delegation on a visit at the Museum of World Languages and the Bulgarian Language Teaching and Research Unit.

Picture 3. I group photo of the participants in the meeting.