The Chinese Culture University and Moscow City University Sign a Memorandum on Organization of the “Orient” Cultural and Educational Center
Dr. Lee Tien-Rein, the President of Chinese Culture University (CCU), accompanied by Dr. Lin Bor-Shan, Dean of the Office of International and Mainland China Affairs, and Dr. Li Hsi-Mei, Dean of the College of Foreign Languages visited Russia from November 16 to 21, 2015. During their stay, they first went to Moscow City University where the Memorandum of Cooperation Between Moscow City University and the Chinese Culture University of Taiwan on the Organization of the “Orient” Cultural and Educational Center at the Samara Branch of Moscow City University was signed by Dr. Lee Tien-Rein and by Dr. Vadim V. Grinshkun, Vice Rector for Development Programs and International Affairs at MCU, and witnessed by David C. Y. Wang, the ROC’s Representative in Russia, at the Taipei Representative Office in Moscow, formally known as the Taipei-Moscow Economic and Cultural Coordination Commission (TMCC). The visiting group then went to Samara to participate in the ceremony opening the Center. Mr. Robin Lu, Director of the Education Division of TMCC also attended on behalf of the Ambassador David Wang.
The signing of this agreement marks a new beginning of cooperation between the two universities. Chinese Culture University offers both master’s degree and doctorate programs to study Russian and it first signed a partnership MOU with the Samara branch of Moscow City University in 2010. Since then both universities have engaged in exchanges of students and teachers and decided to sign a new memorandum to set up an Orient cultural and education center at the Samara Branch of Moscow City University. The major functions of the Center will include promotion of the Chinese language and culture in the Russian Federation and assisting in the expansion of mutual understanding and stronger engagement between the people of the Russian Federation and the people of Taiwan in cultural and educational exchanges, and so on. Taiwan’s Ministry of Education sent a Mandarin Chinese teacher to Moscow City University in 2015 to promote Mandarin Chinese teaching.
Moscow City University is also known as Moscow City Teacher Training University, and it is one of three main normal universities in Russia. It prepares teachers for schools and universities, as well as a wide range of other professionals. It is expected that more Taiwanese universities will be able to develop close ties with their Russian counterparts with the help of the Center.