Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Peoples Republic of China to Georgia, Mr. Yue Bin has presented 450 books to the Library of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. TSU Rector, Academician Vladimer Papava, students from the Department of Far Eastern Regional Studies (Sino-Japanese studies) of the TSU Faculty of Humanities, and academic staff attended the event. TSU Rector Vladimer Papava awarded the Chinese Ambassador with a medal of the Tbilisi State University. A French-Chinese-Latin dictionary published in Paris in 1813 and kept at the TSU Library was presented to the Chinese Ambassador.
TSU Rector Vladimer Papava said: “It is very important that the Chinese Ambassador replenished the university’s book fund with new books dedicated to Chinese culture, history, economy and language. Successful relations have been established between big China and small Georgia. I hope that these relations will be developed further.”
Chinese Ambassador Yue Bin spoke about the Chinese-Georgian relations, global Chinese language and economic boom, achievements in the sphere of education. “The Chinese government grants about ten scholarships each year to the students of Georgian universities. Last year 15 volunteer teachers arrived in Georgia to teach the Chinese language at the universities. Quite good relations have been established between TSU, the oldest and leading university in the Caucasus region, and the Beijing University of Technology, one of the best educational institutions in China. I sincerely hope that the both universities will educate successful young people, who will further deepen and develop the Chinese-Georgian relations,” Ambassador Bin said.
Textbooks and literary fiction published in Chinese, Russian and English will help the students from the Department of Far Eastern Regional Studies to study the Chinese language and culture as well as will facilitate the lecturers to expand their knowledge about the region.
The Department of Far Eastern Regional Studies (Sino-Japanese studies) (led by Professor Nana Gelashvili) has been functioning at TSU Faculty of Humanities since 2007. A number of exchange programs have been implemented since then. The Chinese universities offer internships to Georgian students. In frames of the educational program implemented by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, a Chinese volunteer teacher is teaching the Chinese language at TSU.
