Consul-general of France in Shanghai and the consulate’s education attaché recently visited Nanjing University.
The university’s vice president Wang Zhenlin met Consul-Genral Benoît Guidée and Séverine Boué, the university cooperation attachée, on Xianlin Campus.
Also attending the meeting were representatives of the School of Foreign Studies, the School of Architecture and Urban Planning and the International Office.
Vice President Wang extended his welcome to the French guests on behalf of the university and expressed his gratitude to the French consulate for its contributions to promoting Sino-French exchange and cooperation in cultivating personnel who are well versed in Chinese and French cultures.
Wang reviewed the long-term cooperation between Nanjing University and universities in France, such as the University of Orléans and the Artois University, as well as the construction of the interdisciplinary literary research platform between Nanjing University and French universities.
He also expressed his gratitude to the consulate for the support it gave to the Advanced French Class program of the university’s Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences.
Others present at the meeting briefed the consul-general on the progress of the Nanjing University-University of Paris-Est Créteil Center of Sino-French Urban & Territorial Planning and on the cooperation with France in urban planning.
Consul-General Benoît Guidée warmly responded to the sharing of the NJU representatives and spoke highly of the role of Jiangsu Province and Nanjing University in China's higher education and in the educational exchange between China and France.
He expressed that he would continue to strengthen the cooperation with Nanjing University and explore innovative joint projects in the fields of climate, environment and urban planning.
Consul-General Guidée also presented Zhang Xiaoming, a teacher from the university’s French Department, with the award of the Order of Academic Palms in recognition of Zhang’s contributions to Sino-French cultural exchanges.
The award was intended to encourage a new generation of French learners to continue the cause of Sino-French exchange.
The Order of Academic Palms was established by Napoleon in 1808 and is mainly awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the development and transmission of French culture, science and technology and art around the world.
So far, four teachers from Nanjing University’s French Department have won the Order of Academic Palms, others being Professors He Ru, Xu Jun and Zhang Xinmu.
The number of winners of this award ranks the first in all university French departments in China.
