Peking University to organize exhibition to showcase Pakistani history, culture

BEIJING: Peking University, the oldest higher education institution in China, will organize an exhibition this month to provide a broad understanding of Pakistani history, culture and people among the Chinese students.

“Through this exhibition focussing on ancient Gandhara culture, the students will get an opportunity to have a glimpse of Pakistani history and culture,” Head of Urdu Department, Peking University, Ms Zhang Jiamei said in an interview here on Sunday.

The Head of Urdu Department along with some Chinese professors and scholars from School of Foreign Languages, Peking University and Archaeological department, Renmin University visited ancient sites in Taxila and Peshawar this spring.

Sharing history and background of Urdu learning in China, Zhang Jiamei, who has adopted a Pakistani name ‘Tahira’ told APP that the Urdu department was established in Peking University in 1954 to teach Urdu to those Chinese diplomats who were supposed to serve in Pakistan.

For this purpose, teachers were employed from Pakistan and they taught Urdu to the Chinese students. Later, one of the students from Urdu Department of Peking University became the ambassador of China in Pakistan, she added.

She informed the students have been regularly enrolled in the Urdu department since 1985, adding around 10 students are offered admission in the department after every three years.

Ms Zhang said around three per cent of the rolled out students join Urdu-related professions especially teaching while some opt for the foreign ministry or publishing houses.

About the number of current students, she said at present 10 students are studying Urdu in the department under a four-year graduate programme and they will complete their term in 2021, adding as many as 25 students have completed their three-year degree in the Urdu department since 2010.

Along with Ms Zhang, two more teachers are the faculty members of the Urdu department of the university while a Pakistani teacher is associated with the teaching to students of short-courses.

“We also invite Pakistani scholars and professionals to visit the university and give lectures to our students about history, culture and latest information,” she said and adding, some Chinese experts are also invited to share their knowledge with the students.

About the research work, she informed that this year, a poetry book comprising masterpieces of Pakistani poets is being compiled besides translating different books into Chinese.

“We are translating history and culture of Pakistan in Chinese while classical Urdu novels will be translated to study life and history of Pakistan.” The Chinese people who intend to visit Pakistan could take benefit from these books.

She said for the promotion of Urdu, the information about is updated regularly.

Besides learning the curriculum, the new media is used to further enhance already exemplary and deep-rooted friendly relations between China and Pakistan.

“We are not only teaching language but also history, culture and daily life by using different modern techniques including showing classical dramas to our students,” she added.

Ms Zhang said some of the students are sent to Pakistan for further study in National University of Modern Language (NUML), Islamabad while some of them carry out research at Punjab and Peshawar universities in Pakistan.

When asked about Urdu department set up in other cities, she informed the history of studying Urdu in China started with the establishment of Urdu department at Peking University.

The universities in Xian and Guangzhou have also started teaching Urdu keeping in view its increasing demand.

The Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) has been teaching Urdu since 2007 and till now two batches of its students have completed their degree.

Responding to a question about the demand of Urdu speaking personnel under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), she said after the launch of this framework, the demand is increasing day by day as a large number of Chinese engineers and technicians are going to Pakistan to work on infrastructure, transport and energy projects.

“To cope with the demand, a number of universities in Shanghai, Xian, Tianjin, Kunming, Urumqi and Inner Mongolia are planning to establish Urdu departments,” she added.

About the role of Pakistan embassy in Beijing for the promotion of Urdu, she appreciated the efforts and cooperation of Pakistani mission in this regard.

“We are invited by the Embassy in seminars, programmes and other events enabling us to interact with Pakistani people, update information about Pakistan and enhance our Urdu language skills,” she added.

She said that Pakistan Study Centre has also been set up in Peking University with the cooperation of Pakistan Embassy for the promotion of Pakistani history, culture and language.

This centre has also a long-term cooperation with Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad and Punjab University Lahore, she added.