ACC Kicked off Lecture Series on "ASEAN-China Relations"
As a Warming-up Activity to Promote “ACC Cup-Understanding
ASEAN-China Relations” Essay Contest
Shaanxi Normal University.
Since the establishment of dialogue relations in 1991, ASEAN-China relations have flourished and witnessed abundant progress. The year 2014 is significant for both ASEAN and China, as it marks the first year of the “Diamond Decade” of ASEAN-China cooperation, as well as the ASEAN-China Cultural Exchange Year.
To highlight the fruitful achievements of ASEAN-China good-neighborly cooperation, and raise the profile of ASEAN-China relations, ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) kicked off the lecture series on ASEAN-China relations since May 2014 in a number of universities across China.
Keeping in mind that youth is the future of ASEAN-China relations, ACC lecture series will serve as a bridge of knowledge, mutual understanding and friendship among the general public, especially the young generation, and lay a solid foundation for the sustained development of ASEAN-China relations in years to come.
Xi'an University of Posts & Telecommunications.
In combination with the lecture series, ACC made an official announcement to hold the “ACC Cup - Understanding ASEAN-China Relations” Essay Contest via various channels such as ACC Website and Microblog as well as some other printing materials in May 2014. Since then, ACC has immediately started to provide useful information in relation to the essay's topic by giving lectures to interested Chinese and foreign students in a number of Chinese universities to ensure their effective participation.
Chengdu Southwest Petroleum University.
In the second half of May 2014, Ms. Lada Phumas, Director of Information and Public Relations Division (IPRD) of ACC, gave lectures on "ASEAN-China Relations" at the three universities in Xi'an and Chengdu. These included the visits to Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an University of Posts & Telecommunications, and Chengdu Southwest Petroleum University on 19, 20 and 27 May 2014 respectively.
The visits started out by productive bilateral meetings between Director Lada and high-level representatives of the universities (Prof. Zhang Jiancheng, Dean of the International School of Chinese Studies of Shaanxi Normal University, Prof. Wang Xiao Zheng, Vice President of Xi'an University of Posts & Telecommunications, and Prof. Wang Ling, Vice President of Chengdu Southwest Petroleum University) and followed by successful lectures. The Director briefed on roles and activities of ACC to enhance ASEAN-China relations under the leadership of ACC Secretary-General Ma Mingqiang, objectives, working outline and expected outcomes of the essay contest project, designed by the IPRD of ACC. She expressed ACC's deep appreciation for the universities to join hands with ACC in raising awareness on ASEAN-China relations as the host universities.
The high-level representatives from the universities welcomed ACC lecture series and essay contest, and stood ready to render all possible cooperation to promote the implementation of the two projects among their universities' students. They also expressed their sincere gratitude to ACC for providing them a great opportunity by allowing their students to have an interactive dialogue and lecture with Director Lada, who is the Thai representative working at ACC, as well as to raise profile of their universities. It was expected that through the lectures knowledge on ASEAN-China relations would be widely recognized among the students and faculties as well as the young generation in China who has played an important role to enhance ASEAN-China relations. Meanwhile, their universities would be able to make themselves known among ASEAN through the ASEAN Embassies' involvement in the activity.
The lectures at the above-mentioned three universities were very successful with a great number of participants of at approximately 600 students who were interested in the essay contest. The lectures were informative, interactive and productive. The students paid studious attention to the comprehensive information received on ASEAN, ASEAN-China rations and roles of ACC to enhance ASEAN-China relations and had shown their enthusiasm to submit their written essays.
Immediate responses from the lectures, which have been expressed via talks, discussions as well as ACC Microblog in a number of occasions, were encouraging. ACC would continue to hold the lecture series and promote the essay contest in the next months to come and looked forward to receiving more impressive feedback.