On April 23, a delegation from Ecuador’s higher education sector visited the Hongkou Campus of Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). The visit was led by the Consortium for Ecuadorian Higher Education Development and Research (CEDIA) and included rectors and vice rectors from more than ten Ecuadorian universities. It aimed to deepen academic exchange between China and Ecuador and explore new avenues for practical cooperation.
The meeting was chaired by Zhao Mu, Deputy Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange. Zhang Yanli, Co-Dean of the School of Chinese Studies and Exchange, delivered a welcome address. She warmly welcomed the delegation on behalf of the college and, in the context of the 46th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Ecuador, introduced SISU’s distinctive strengths in internationalized education and its achievements in international student education in China. She noted that SISU has long maintained educational exchanges with Ecuador, receiving Ecuadorian students each year, and expressed hope for further deepening practical cooperation in international exchange. On behalf of the delegation, Dr. Cecilia Alexandra Paredes Verduga, Rector of Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), expressed gratitude for the warm reception and outlined Ecuadorian universities’ key priorities in international cooperation. Dr. Sara Nidhya Camacho Estrada, Rector of Universidad Técnica de Ambato (UTA), shared insights into Ecuador’s bilingual education model and expressed expectations for in-depth collaboration with SISU in fields such as linguistics and area studies.
Chen Danna, Deputy Director of the Spanish Language Program within the School of European and Latin American Studies, Associate Professor Guan Shanshan from the School of Education, and Chen Zhuofen, Associate Dean of the School of Chinese Studies and Exchange, each delivered thematic presentations. They introduced SISU’s Spanish language teaching, Latin American studies and developments in Chinese higher education, as well as international Chinese language education and study-in-China programs. Both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on topics including new models of higher education cooperation, university–industry collaboration, and AI-empowered teaching, with lively interaction throughout the session.
This visit enhanced mutual trust and mutual learning between Chinese and Ecuadorian universities and built a solid bridge for practical cooperation. Looking ahead, SISU will continue to leverage its “Multilingual Plus” strengths to further expand educational collaboration with higher education institutions in Latin America.
