RIYADH: Students at Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) will be able to take advantage of a new program teaching business Chinese. PNU signed a contract — virtually — with Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) on Wednesday to offer a “Diploma in Business Chinese Language” Program. The signing ceremony, attended by PNU’s Director, Dr. Inas bint Suleiman Al-Issa and BLCU’s President, Dr. Li Liu, is part of the broader promotion of educational exchanges between the two countries to build long-lasting relations between PNU and BLCU and to implement a cooperative educational project benefitting PNU’s students. The comprehensive program, which will be a two-year course under the supervision of the Deanship of Community Services and Continuing Education at PNU, will look to draw on BLCU’s extensive experience since it is considered one of the best universities in the world for teaching Chinese and is one of the universities recommended by the Saudi Education Ministry. “By signing this contact, PNU highlights the depth of the Saudi-Chinese relations and the cooperation taking place in the political, economic, educational and cultural fields,” said Al-Issa. “Introducing the Chinese language to the Kingdom’s curricula is a realistic move that will promote the Saudi-Chinese strategic economic relations, while similar cultural and educational exchanges also contribute to the same objective.” The Saudi Cultural Attache in China, Dr. Fahd bin Majed Al-Shareef, stressed the importance of this unique partnership “which will implement a quality Chinese academic program in the Kingdom through PNU. This comes in line with the wise leadership’s directives to strengthen relations between the two countries and support their common interests.” “The launch of the program at this stage reflects PNU’s role in meeting the future needs of the Saudi labor market through such programs and will contribute to the objectives of the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision,” Al-Shareef noted. ...