On November 4, with the launch of the ‘CET Chengdu Tour (Fall)’, Zhu Li, Senior Academic Director of CET Beijing Academic Programs, and Drew Kunard, the Resident Director, paid a visit to our institute. Dean Yu Senlin, Assistant Dean Zeng Xiangmin, Deputy Director of the Centre for International Communication Liu Bo, Head of the Department of International Chinese Education Wang Hailing, and faculty members from the Department of Chinese Education to discuss ongoing collaboration.
Prof. Zeng Xiangmin welcomed Zhu Li and her delegation, followed by remarks from Dean Yu Senlin, who emphasized the importance of deepening cooperation and promoting cultural exchanges between China and the United States. Zhu Li introduced the history and achievements of CET Beijing and commended the productive partnership with SFL. Associate Professor Liu Bo reviewed collaboration since 2021, highlighting key milestones and contributions to language education and cultural exchange.
Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., CET is a premier academic training organization. It partners with top U.S. universities to bring students to China for immersive programs focusing on Chinese language and culture. The credits earned by CET participants are recognized by their home institutions, and many alumni pursue careers that influence US-China relations.
The cooperation between SFL of SWJTU and CET is a fusion of talent cultivation, social service, academic construction, and cultural dissemination. From 2021 to 2024, SFL and CET jointly hosted initiatives, including 4 ‘YOUTH LINK Culture Livestreaming’ and 5 ‘CET Chengdu Tours,’ with support from the Ministry of Education’s Center for Sino-Foreign Language Exchange and Cooperation. These programs brought nearly 155 American students to SWJTU and engaged over 200 Chinese students in internships as language partners and project coordinators. 15 times coverage of these initiatives by major media outlets like Xinhua News Agency, China News Service, Sichuan International Communication Center, and Sichuan Newsnet Media underscores their impact on promoting international education.
During the meeting, Zhu Li highly praised SWJTU as a benchmark for Chinese study programs in the United States, and every CET tour to Chengdu is high-quality cooperation, noting its innovative efforts in pre-curriculum design, online language exchanges, and sustainable learning communities.
Studying in China is a vital component of international education, foreign affairs, and the country’s reform and opening-up initiatives. It is an essential pathway for building a robust educational system and enhancing the global influence of China’s higher education. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized the importance of active participation in global education governance, the vigorous promotion of the “Study in China” brand, and the need to tell compelling Chinese stories, share Chinese experiences, amplify Chinese voices, and strengthen the international influence and discourse power of China’s education system. The CET program, as a short-term study abroad initiative, acts as a “grass-planting project”, playing a significant role in enabling American college students to learn Chinese and gain a deeper understanding of China.
In their discussion on future collaboration, both sides outlined a shared vision. The International Communication Center plans to further expand its partnership with CET, emphasizing excellence in social services and international cultural exchange. The goal is to develop a multidimensional study experience in China, continuously strengthening the “Study in China” brand. The partnership will be grounded in the principle of mutual benefit. Both sides aim to foster two-way talent training, engage in collaborative research, and establish key infrastructure to support their initiatives. These efforts will contribute to the professional development of faculty members and advance discipline construction within the School of Foreign Languages.
Contributor: Liu Bo, Li Li
Editor: Wang Hailing