Nanjing University’s vice president Wang Zhenlin met Edward Shapira, new Consul-General of Israel in Shanghai and his delegation on Xianlin Campus on the morning of November 11.

Shapira and his delegation were accompanied by the staff of the Asian division of Jiangsu Provincial Foreign Affairs Office.

Nanjing University’s leader and the Israeli consul-general discussed matters of promoting China-Israel higher education and cultural exchanges and cooperation.

Vice president Wang Zhenlin extended his warm welcome to Shapira and his delegation for their first visit, expressed gratitude to the Israeli Consulate General in Shanghai for its long support of the cooperation between Nanjing University and the top universities in Israel. He also highlighted the achievement of such cooperation.

Nanjing University, said Wang, has always attached great importance to cooperation with all walks of life in Israel and has maintained long-term friendly relations with Israeli universities and embassies and consulates.

In 2018, Zvi Heifetz, Israel’s ambassador to China, visited Nanjing University and reached an agreement on cooperation in technological innovation and talent training with Hu Jinbo, secretary of Nanjing University’s CPC Committee.

In 2019, Hu Jinbo and his delegation visited Israel in an effort to deepen cooperation with top universities such as the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

In order to promote cooperation with Israeli universities, Nanjing University has recently engaged as an adjunct professor Zhan Yongxin, China’ former ambassador to Israel.

Nanjing University’s Diane and Guilford Glazer Institute for Jewish and Israel Studies, Wang emphasized, is taking the lead in Jewish studies in China, with great influence and first-class prestige in academic circles at home and abroad.

The university initiated the establishment of the Chinese Alliance for Jewish Cultural Studies and actively participated in the China-Israel 7+7 Research Universities Alliance.

Consul-General Shapira said that during his term of office, he will focus on promoting Israel’s cooperation with China’s academic circles, especially universities.

Given that Nanjing University enjoys a high prestige in the field of Israeli studies, the consulate will actively promote the cooperation of Israeli universities and research institutions with Nanjing University.

He pointed out that the cooperation in science and technology and in economy and trade of the two countries is inseparable from the support of the talented personnel cultivated by universities, so the consulate will provide more resources for cultivating researchers fluent in the languages of China and Israel and facilitate the cultural exchange between the two countries.

Vice President Wang Zhenlin, Consul-General Shapira and others at the meeting (Photo: She Zhijun)

After the meeting, Shapira and his delegation also visited Diane and Guilford Glazer Institute for Jewish and Israel Studies and the university library’s special collection of Jewish books.

Leaders of the Department of Philosophy, the Jewish and Israel Studies Institute, and the International Office were also present at the meeting.

Source: International Office, Jewish and Israel Studies Institute