On the morning of March 17th, BJUT received a delegation led by Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Simon Coveney and Irish Ambassador to China Mr. Li Xiuwen. Party Secretary Xie Hui, Deputy Party Secretary and President Liu Gonghui held talks with the delegation.

Party Secretary Xiehui welcomed the delegation and wished them a Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Party Secretary Xiehui reminded the delegation that in February 2012, under the joint witness of then Vice President Xi Jinping and then Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny, BJUT and University College Dublin formally signed the agreement to establish the Beijing-Dublin International College in May 2013.

The Beijing-Dublin International College is not only a high-level Sino-foreign cooperative educational institution, but also an important link in Sino-Irish cultural exchange and an important testimony to the bilateral friendship. He also expressed the hope that with the support and assistance of the governments of the two countries and with the joint efforts of BJUT and University College Dublin the Beijing-Dublin International College can continue to develop and cultivate more talents to become a bridge and window of friendship between China and Ireland, Beijing and Dublin, BJUT and University College Dublin and further contribute to the friendly exchanges between China and Ireland.

Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney thanked BJUT and expressed appreciation for the sincere cooperation between BJUT and University College Dublin and the achievements of recent years. He illustrated that the Beijing-Dublin International College is the result of in-depth cooperation between institutions of higher education in the two countries in terms of teaching quality, academic resources, talents, and exchange of advanced educational systems and methods. The Irish government will continue to promote all-round exchanges and cooperation between Irish universities and Chinese universities, especially BJUT. He stressed that as exchanges and visits between the two sides become more frequent, more in-depth cooperation in education, trade, science and technology will follow.

Deputy Secretary and President Liu Gonghui introduced the general situation of BJUT from the aspects of mission and vision, “three steps” strategy, historical evolution, discipline construction, scientific research, international cooperation and exchange. He said that as an important part of the international strategy of BJUT, the Beijing-Dublin International College has, since its establishment, played a positive role in promoting the internationalization of the school by focusing on the school’s goal: “a world-renowned high-level research university with its own characteristics”. After six years of development, the Beijing-Dublin International College has not only cultivated a large number of high-quality innovative talents with international vision and competitiveness, but has also become an excellent model in cooperative education between China and foreign countries for both Beijing and the whole country.

Provost of the Beijing-Dublin International College David Fitzpatrick gave a briefing on the status of University College Dublin in China. He wished to build Beijing-Dublin International College into an influential, exemplary, high-level Sino-foreign cooperative educational institution through joint efforts of colleges and universities in Ireland and China.

Party Secretary Xie Hui presented a special gift to Simon Coveney on behalf of the school – The Hammer of BJUT, which is the result of “metalworking practice”, a compulsory course for every freshman at BJUT. Each hammer is forged by hand through a complicated process and symbolizes the craftsman’s spirit of BJUT students. Mr. Simon Coveney happily accepted the special gift.

After the talks, the delegation visited the Beijing-Dublin International College and viewed a photo exhibition of the achievements of the Beijing-Dublin International College since its establishment in the fields of talent training, education, teaching, international exchanges, and much more. This was followed by a classroom visit to a class on Irish Culture and extending greetings to teachers and students.

Finally, Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney gave a presentation on Ireland’s position in the European Union and Sino-Irish Relations. Students held an interactive dialogue with him on topics such as geopolitics, Belt and Road and cultural integration.

The foreign affairs reception of BJUT attracted reports from China Central Television, Xinhua News, China Daily, China Education News, Beijing Daily, China Education Television, Qianlong and other media outlets.