On 26 May, H.E. Dr.Thaddeus Kambanei,the Ambassador of Papua New Guinea to China, led a delegation on a visit toChinaThree Gorges University. The delegation was accompanied by Zhu Xiaobin, Deputy Director of the Foreign AffairsOffice of Hubei ProvincialPeople's Government, and Cai Lu, Director of the Foreign AffairsOffice of the Yichang MunicipalPeople's Government. Wang Jianping,PartySecretary ofChinaThree Gorges University, and Zhang Rui and Wang Lehua,Standing Committee membersof the Party Committee and VicePresidents, attended the event.
On that day, the university held a welcome reception and a signing ceremony for the cooperation agreement to mark the visit of the Ambassador of Papua New Guinea to China and his delegation. The event was chaired by Zhang Rui.
Wang Jianping welcomed the delegation and expressed his gratitude to the Embassy of Papua New Guinea in China and AG Papua New Guinea for their support. He noted that the signing of the cooperation agreement between the two parties not only represented strong support for the university’s educational endeavour, but also served as a vivid illustration of the deep friendship between the Chinese and Papuan New Guinean peoples. He recalled that Papua New Guinea had responded enthusiastically to China’s ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative. From its active participation in the construction of the Edwood Hydropower Station to the arrival of the first cohort of Papuan students at the university; from the inauguration of the Papua New Guinea Research Institute to the university’s staff and studentsundertaking internships and practical training in Papua New Guinea—an initiative that earned high praise from the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea—cooperation between the two sides has gradually deepened. The university will, through the Papua New Guinea Research Institute, closely align with Papua New Guinea’s needs in fields such as water resources and energy, civil engineering and infrastructure, and medical education, and will resolutely deepen all-round cooperation to elevate Sino-Papuan scientific and technological collaboration to new heights.
H.E. Dr.Thaddeus Kambanei expressed his gratitude toChinaThree Gorges University for its hospitality and expressed his hope that cooperation with the university in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) could be further strengthened in the future. He noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Papua New Guinea, and invited the university to participate in the relevant events.
Zhu Xiaobin stated that this event fully demonstrated the high regard in which the Papua New Guinean Government holds the Institute and exchanges and cooperation between the two regions.The Foreign AffairsOffice of Hubei ProvincialPeople's Governmentwill continue to support the development of the Papua New Guinea Institute, nurture more young ambassadors of friendshipbetween the two countries, and take exchanges and cooperation between Hubei and Papua New Guinea in various fields to a new level.
Deng Huafeng, Executive Dean of theCollegeof Civil Engineering and Architecture and Director ofthe Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies, CTGU, outlined the institute’s progress and achievements. Guo Chao, Chairman of AG Company and Honorary Dean of the Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies, CTGU, stated that he would continue to act as a bridge and link to facilitate in-depth cooperation betweenCTGUand Papua New Guinea in the fields of education and industry. During the event, Chen Sheng, Secretary-General of theChinaThree Gorges University Education Development Foundation, signed relevant agreements with representatives from the Embassy of Papua New Guinea in China and AG Company.
Prior to the welcome reception, the delegation also visited theCollegeof Basic Medical Sciences, the University History Museum and the Landslide and Wave Test Site, where they learnt about the university’s history and current development, as well as its research capabilities and talent development models inspecializedfields such as water resources engineering, civil engineering and medicine. The delegation also made a special visit to theCollegeof Civil Engineering and Architecture, where Ambassador Kambanei and Wang Lehua jointly unveiled the plaque for the office of the Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies, CTGU. The visitors inspected the office premises, learnt about the Institute’s day-to-day operations, collaborative projectsand staff exchanges, and signed the guest book with messages expressing their hope that bilateral cooperation would proceed steadily and successfully into the future.
The event was attended by headsofthe Department of International Relations,theInternational College,theEducation Development Foundationof CTGU, theCollegeof Civil Engineering and Architecture, theCollegeof Basic Medical Sciences and theCollege of Foreign Languages, as well as staff and students from the relevantcolleges.
