Chinese to be taught at Azerbaijan Technical University

BAKU - Azerbaijan Technical University on Tuesday announced registration for a Chinese language course, which is organized in partnership with the Confucius Institute of Baku State University.

"Chinese is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world," the university's vice rector for foreign relations Subhan Namazov said at a ceremony, which was attended by students and a delegation of the Confucius Institute.

"China boasts a world-class education system. The country offers ample opportunities for foreign students, so we launched a Chinese language course at our university in order to make these opportunities more accessible to our students," he said. "We are now conducting the registration of students for the course," Namazov added.

Director of Confucius Institute of Baku State University Luo Xiaozhi hailed Sino-Azerbaijani relations as "friendly". She highlighted the activities of the Confucius Institute, saying it aims to promote Chinese language and culture in Azerbaijan.

Teacher at the Confucius Institute Zeng Chunxiao provided an insight into HSK/HSKK Chinese proficiency tests. She said a total of 690 Azerbaijani students have sat the tests so far, with 468 of them passing successfully. Zeng also drew the Azerbaijani students' attention to Chinese university admission rules, scholarships provided by Chinese higher education institutions and contests promoting Chinese language.

Founded in 1950, Azerbaijan Technical University now enrolls nearly 6,000 students, including about 300 foreign citizens. The university prepares specialists in nearly 70 occupations.

Confucius Institute is a non-profit public educational organization affiliated with China's Ministry of Education. It was launched in 2004 with the aim of promoting Chinese language and culture internationally.

The first Confucius Institute in Azerbaijan opened in April 2011.