Beijing Language and Culture University will keep strengthening educational ties with countries in Central Asia and cultivate global talent with proficiency in Chinese, university president Duan Peng said in a recent interview.

BLCU's branch campus in Astana, Kazakhstan, a new higher education institution jointly established by BLCU and Astana International University, was inaugurated on July 3.

Teaching materials provided by BLCU Press and its branch in the United States — Phoenix Tree — have been sent to Astana, including 35 sets of undergraduate textbooks. Original cultural products have been delivered to the branch campus to attract students during the enrollment process.

In September, the first batch of 100 students will start their new semester at BLCU Kazakhstan in two undergraduate programs: Chinese language (economics and trade) and international Chinese language education.

A team of six professors and several volunteers from BLCU will be assigned to the branch campus, with a system of international Chinese education developed by the university expected to help international students understand China through learning Chinese.

Students from neighboring countries such as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan can also apply for places at BLCU Kazakhstan with their college entrance exam scores. Those who have no Chinese learning background can attend a one-year preparatory course before entering the university.

"The number of inquiries has been overwhelming, and many students have applied," Duan said.

The interaction between the main campus in Beijing and the branch campus in Astana will be enhanced, Duan said. Outstanding students from the branch campus will be able to further their studies in Beijing, while doctoral candidates at the main campus could serve as intern teachers in Astana.

The branch campus aims to offer bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs over the next five years to students across Central Asia, he said.

During the inauguration ceremony, BLCU gave the Astana campus a wooden pavilion designed like ancient Chinese architecture to provide a place for teachers and students to relax. Construction of the pavilion will be completed this month.

The name of the pavilion, Tangdi, comes from the Book of Songs, the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry. It means brotherhood in Chinese and symbolizes the friendship between the two countries, Duan said.

BLCU has signed cooperative contracts with eight higher education institutions in Kazakhstan, including the joint establishment of the Kazakhstan Research Center with Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty.

Over 4,000 Kazakhs have studied at BLCU, including Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who learned Chinese at the university in 1983 and 1984, and Shakhrat Nuryshev, Kazakhstan's ambassador to China.

A large number of Kazakh graduates have promoted the friendship between the two countries, contributing to multiple fields including diplomacy, education and cultural communication, and trade, Duan said.

zhaoyimeng@chinadaily.com.cn