On August 27，A delegation from SOAS, University of London, comprising Professor Graeme Earl, Dean of the College of Humanities, and Ms. Linda Hallback, Head of Global Engagement, visited the School of Foreign Languages, Peking University, to discuss deepening the strategic collaboration between the two parties. They were jointly received by Wu Jiewei, Vice Dean of the School of Foreign Languages and Professor of Southeast Asian Studies; Su Qi, Tenured Associate Professor from the Institute of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics; Shen Yiming, Lecturer of West Asian Languages and Cultures; Zhang Minyu, Assistant Professor of the International and Regional Studies Program; Li Jinjian, Postdoctoral Researcher of the Department of Arabic Language and Cultures; and Tan Shengfang, Secretary of the school’s International Office.

The meeting commenced with opening remarks from Vice Dean Wu Jiewei and Dean Graeme Earl. They reviewed the academic foundations and historical ties of the collaboration, as well as its current progress, emphasizing the potential for cooperation in fields such as linguistics, literature, regional studies, digital humanities, and artificial intelligence. This visit marks an important reciprocal engagement following the delegation led by Professor Chen Ming, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages, to SOAS in May 2025, and serves to further advance the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on which initial consensus had been reached.

This return visit signifies that the collaboration has entered a phase of substantive advancement. During the conference, the two parties engaged in detailed and in-depth discussions on the specific terms of the draft MOU, covering multiple dimensions including academic exchanges, joint research projects, and reciprocal visits by faculty and students. Regarding academic cooperation, both sides agreed to establish a joint editorial committee for academic publications, aiming to promote the production and dissemination of high-quality scholarly outputs. In the area of talent cultivation, building upon the initially agreed basic framework for collaboration, they further explored the planning and implementation of specific projects. These projects leverage their respective strengths and include facilitating student exchanges for Persian language majors and jointly organizing summer schools.

Discussion over the specific terms of the Memorandum of Understanding

This meeting has laid a solid foundation for establishing a regularized cooperation mechanism between the two institutions. Seizing this opportunity, both sides will maximize their respective disciplinary strengths to jointly promote international exchange and development in the humanities.

Translated by Gong Zhenning