SISU & RAE establish strategic cooperation relation

n November 28, 2018, witnessed by Chinese President Xi and Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, Li Yansong, president of Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) and Darío Villanueva, director of Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) signed a cooperation agreement on establishing strategic cooperative relationship and promoting the construction of the SISU-RAE Joint Research Center for Chinese-Spanish Language and Culture (the Center) at the Spanish Prime Minister's office.

In the evening, President li was invited to attend the state banquet hosted by Spanish King Felipe VI and his wife for President Xi at the palace.

Since the 1980s, SISU and RAE have maintained cooperation and exchange. The cooperation between the two sides involves Spanish teaching and research, scholar exchange, joint training of postgraduate and resource sharing. In September, 2018, Director Darío Villanueva led RAE delegation to SISU and attended International Symposium of Spanish Teaching in China jointly organized by SISU and RAE. SISU university Council Chair Jiang Feng and President Li had in-depth exchange with Director Darío Villanueva respectively on China-Spain relationship, cultural exchanges, and how to deepen future cooperation. The two sides decided to establish a strategic cooperative partnership.

The strategic cooperation agreement signed this time mainly includes two key issues: the popularization and application of RAE Corpus, and the construction of the Center. SISU has become the only authorized overseas unit of RAE Corpus. This is the third cooperation agreement signed by the two sides following a framework agreement on academic exchange and an agreement on the establishment of the SISU-RAE Joint Research Center in September. The multi-layered and high-level cooperation between SISU and RAE has promoted cultural exchanges between China and Spain, which is important in the comprehensive implementation of strategic cooperative partnership.

During his stay in Madrid, President Li also had an in-depth exchange on education and research cooperation with Director Darío Villanueva. Director Dario Villanueva pointed that the signing of this agreement witnessed by the leaders of both sides is a milestone event at the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Spain. President Li agreed and stressed that SISU will work with RAE to accelerate construction of the Center, improve teaching and research ability of Chinese-Spanish language and culture, strengthen studies on Spanish-speaking countries and promote the strategic cooperative partnership between the two sides.

Accompanied by Zhang Hongling, director of Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, and Yu Man, dean of School of European and Latin American Studies, President Li attended a series of activities organized by RAE.