From May 17 to 23, Yin Dongmei, Chair of the University Council of Shanghai International Studies University (SISU), led a delegation on a visit to Greece and Italy. During the visit, the SISU delegation held in-depth discussions with representatives of the host institutions on joint training, research cooperation, cultural exchange, university-enterprise collaboration, and Confucius Institute development. A number of practical cooperation agreements were reached.
During the visit to Greece, the SISU delegation attended the international symposium “Century Global Bridges: Shaping Future Campuses,” hosted by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Yin delivered a keynote speech. She introduced SISU’ s educational features and development strategy to the participants. She noted that SISU is committed to internationalized education. The University actively expands international exchange and cooperation, and works to promote mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations. She pointed out that universities in China and abroad should respond to the needs of the times. They should give full play to their disciplinary strengths, expand cooperation, deepen practical collaboration, and pursue long-term development together. The symposium was attended by Greece’s Deputy Minister of Higher Education, the Mayor of Thessaloniki, and other guests. At the Confucius Institute at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the two sides held the annual board meeting. They agreed to use the Confucius Institute as a high-quality platform to advance joint degree programs and cross-disciplinary research collaboration. Before the meeting, Yin Dongmei also had a warm and friendly exchange with Vice Rector Nikolaos Maghioros.
At the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Vice Rector Sophia Papaioannou warmly received the delegation. The two sides agreed to use the EU Erasmus+ program as an important platform to promote regular faculty and student exchanges and academic resource sharing. The University of Athens expressed its willingness to deepen project-based cooperation with SISU. It also proposed signing a joint talent training agreement, co-hosting international academic seminars, and promoting interdisciplinary innovation. At the Greek Ministry of Culture, the delegation held talks with Nikoletta Saraga, Head of the Department of Museums, Exhibitions and Educational Programs. The two sides planned to hold a special exhibition on the history of the Greek language at SISU in autumn 2026. They also had in-depth discussions on a series of high-level cultural exhibition projects. At the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, Executive Chairman Konstantinos Mazarakis said the foundation would continue to support the development of the Greek Cultural Center at SISU. It will provide comprehensive support in academic publishing, teacher training, literature resource development, and exchanges between Chinese and foreign scholars. The two sides will also build a long-term mechanism for academic exchange. At COSCO Shipping’s Piraeus Port in Greece, the delegation held talks with Chairman Han Chao. The two sides focused on supporting Chinese enterprises going global. They discussed industry-university-research integration, innovation in foreign language talent training, and deeper university-enterprise cooperation.
During the visit to Italy, the delegation visited Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. Vice Rector Edilio Mazzoleni warmly received the delegation. The two sides formally signed an agreement on a 3+2 bachelor’s-master’s cooperative program for Italian majors. They also reached a series of cooperation intentions in computational linguistics and artificial intelligence, internationalized in-service doctoral programs in higher education, master’s programs in media management, and short-term cross-border credit courses. At the Confucius Institute at the University of Naples “L’Orientale,” the two sides held the annual board meeting of the Confucius Institute. Rector Roberto Tottoli and other board members attended the meeting. The two sides reached important consensus on promoting the high-quality, content-based development of the Confucius Institute. They also discussed regular teacher exchanges, the implementation of joint training programs, and special master’s programs. At the Italy-China Exchange Association, Zhu Yuhua, a distinguished SISU alumna and President of the Association, met with the delegation. The two sides discussed cooperation in building overseas internship and practice platforms for students, as well as organizing Chinese-foreign cultural exchange activities. At the Yong’en Chinese School in Italy, the SISU delegation conducted a field study on Chinese language education for children of overseas Chinese. The two sides also discussed cooperation in student internships, practical training, and cultural activities.
During the visit, the SISU delegation also paid a visit to the Chinese Embassy in Greece, where Ambassador Fang Qiu met with the delegation. The delegation also visited SISU students studying in Europe. Relevant officials from SISU’s Office for Confucius Institutes, Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, and School of European and Latin American Studies accompanied the delegation.
The visit was a vivid example of SISU’s efforts to draw on its “Multilingual Plus” educational strengths. It also supported mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations and advanced the development of a system of five elements — languages, literature, cultural relics, culture, and civilization. Through the visit to Greece and Italy, SISU built a multidimensional international cooperation and exchange platform, and made breakthrough progress in several areas. Looking ahead, SISU will continue to leverage its multilingual, interdisciplinary, and international strengths. It will also keep contributing SISU’s expertise to China’s high-level opening up.
