The visit of Latvia education delegation to SCNU
From May 25 th, 2016 to June 5th , Latvia education delegation visited Guangzhou province and the Pearl River Delta region with the invitation of South China Normal University. Members of the delegation included Ms Māra Katvare, senior expert of Policy initiatives and development department in Latvia; Ms Alise Lūse, head of the Division of International Cooperation programmes in Latvia, Mr Gunārs Strods, deputy rector of Rezekne Academy of Techologies etc. Mr Wu Jian, Vice President of SCNU, warmly welcomed Latvia education delegation in the opening ceremony and congratulated the delegation on its substantial achievements in the closing ceremony.
During the visit, the delegation visited the Guangdong Provincial Education Department, the Affiliated Foreign Language School of SCNU, Lecong Shunde high school, Lecong middle school in Shunde and Foshan city. The delegation also visited the College of International culture of SCNU, had a meeting with teachers, students from Latvia as well as students from the major of teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages. At the meeting, the delegation introduced the general situation of basic education and higher education in Latvia. Office of International Exchange and Cooperation arranged a series of lectures as well as some tours which included the lecture about Lingnan culture, the lecture about the current situation of higher education in China and the lecture about the general situation of basic education in China. The delegation also went to Guangzhou Baiyun Mountain, Chen Clan Academy, Lingnan Impression Park, Liang Qichao’s former residence, the birds’ Paradise, Kaiping Diaolou etc.
In the closing ceremony, on behalf of the Latvian delegation, Ms Māra Katvare expressed their gratitude to South China Normal University, as well as the teachers and volunteers organized and participated in this visit. She said that they had got intuitive feelings on the historical culture and social development about both Guangdong province and Guangzhou City through this visit, and gained a great deal as well. She hoped further strengthen cooperation and communication with South China Normal University based on the Confucius Institute and the Confucius classrooms in Latvia.