The Confucius Institute jointly established by Huazhong University of Science(HUST) and Technology and “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy(UMF) held the inauguration ceremony in Iasi, a famous cultural city in northeastern Romania, on April 25th. This is the fifth Confucius Institute established in Romania.
Prof. Viorel Scripcariu, Rector of “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, delivered a speech. He said that the establishment of the Confucius Institute is the fruit of the cooperation between UMF and HUST, marking a significant milestone in the history of UMF. He expresses his good expectation for building the first Confucius Institute with a characteristic of traditional Chinese medicine in Romania which will greatly enrich the academic and cultural perspectives of staff and students in UMF.
H.E. Ambassador of China to Romania, Mr. HAN Chunlin said in his speech that the establishment of the Confucius Institute is a significant event of cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Romania. He hopes the newly established Confucius Institute can integrate and innovate medical education and Chinese teaching, cultivate compound talents with both medical proficiency and Chinese language aptitude. Ambassador HAN said that 500 plus Confucius Institutes and 1,000 plus Confucius Classrooms have become an famous brand for cultural exchanges globally. This newly established Confucius Institute is expected to join hands with other four in Romania to promote people-to-people dialogue and altogether contribute to enhancing the friendship between the two peoples.
Mr. Ma Jianhui, Vice President of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, said this Confucius Institute shows the common aspiration and trust of the two universities. The establishment of this Confucius Institute could not only promote Chinese education in the northeastern region of Romania, but also combines medical education to cultivate “Chinese + Traditional Chinese Medicine” compound talents. The two universities will take this opportunity to deepen cooperation, build an all-round strategic partnership.
Mr. Zhao Lingshan, Secretary-General of the Chinese International Education Foundation, delivered a speech via video. He warmly congratulates the establishment of the Confucius Institute, and pointed out that this is an important moment for further deepening the educational cooperation and cultural exchanges between the two countries. He expects the Confucius Institute at Iaşi to make full use of the resources of both parties, to provide local people with high-quality Chinese education.
The Confucius Institute at “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iasi is the fifth Confucius Institute in Romania. Since May 2013, Romania has established 4 Confucius Institutes at Lucian Braga University in Sibiu, Babes-Bojai University in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania University in Brasov and the University of Bucharest in the capital.
“Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, located in the center of Iasi city, was founded in 1879. It is a public medical school. It currently has four major fields: medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and biomedical engineering, as well as 8 colleges and 10 affiliated hospitals. It boasts 12,697 educational places, about 9,908 students and a staff of 926 people.