Marek Eštok, state secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, paid a visit to Beijing International Studies University (BISU) on April 23, accompanied by Peter Lizak, Slovakia's ambassador to China.

Chang Yu, secretary of the CPC BISU Committee, and Zheng Chengjun, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC BISU Committee and vice president of the university, met with the delegation.

Chang said that BISU enrolled the first batch of Slovak language undergraduate students in 2018, and has since achieved good results. He pointed out that the university not only focuses on cultivating students' language skills, but also encourages them to engage in cultural exchanges between the two countries.

He expressed gratitude for Slovakia's support for BISU students to study in the country, and proposed deepening cooperation in areas such as employment and Chinese language training.

Chang (R) meets with Eštok.   

Eštok expressed his delight in hearing authentic Slovak in Beijing. On behalf of the Slovak government, he thanked BISU for offering Slovak language programs, praising its teaching achievements and contributions to the development of bilateral diplomatic relations.

He recognized the cooperation proposal initiated by BISU, mentioning Slovakia's great emphasis on exchanges with China and the deepening of bilateral cooperation in various fields.

He also pointed out that both sides need more foreign language talents as the number of Chinese enterprises in Slovakia continues to grow.

Emphasizing the huge cooperation potential between the two countries, he said that the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic and the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Beijing would support BISU in developing Slovak language programs, cooperating with Slovakia's universities, carrying out practical activities in Slovakia, and facilitating students' internships and employment.

He also invited BISU students to visit his ministry during their studies in Slovakia.

A group photo of the attendees

During the visit, Eštok and his delegation also had an in-depth exchange with the 2020 cohort of Slovak language students at BISU.

The students warmly welcomed the guests by singing the Slovak national anthem and reciting long Slovak poems. They introduced their university and their progress in learning Slovak and presented personalized calligraphy works, a portrait of Eštok, and a T-shirt embroidered with the name of Eštok to the guests.      

Eštok appreciated the students' performance and their proficiency in Slovak, showing respect for BISU's language teaching quality.

The interaction revolved around such topics as why the students chose to learn Slovak and the origins of their Slovak names. Eštok encouraged the students to pay more efforts to learn the language, saying that the Slovak government will create favorable conditions for BISU's teaching of Slovak and for students to continue their studies in Slovakia.

The delegation engages with students.

A group photo of the delegation and BISU faculty and students