On 17 March, Mr. Seán Canney, T.D. State Minister for the Office of Public Works (OPW) and Flood Relief of Ireland, accompanied by HE John Paul Kavanagh, Irish Ambassador to China visited Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU). Professor Peng Long, President of BFSU and Professor Yan Guohua, Vice President of BFSU met with Minister Canney.

Professor Peng Long introduced to the guests the history, teaching and research, international exchange and cooperation and future international cooperation strategy of BFSU and expressed heartfelt thanks for the consistent support from the Irish government and the embassy. He said in his speech, “BFSU has established fruitful cooperation with Trinity College Dublin Ireland and University College Dublin, and looks forward to expanding to more universities and colleges in Ireland.”

Minister Canney appreciated the contribution BFSU, as the sole university teaching Irish in China, has made to the promotion of Irish language, literature and Irish studies in the broader sense. He believed that the Irish government would continue supporting the cooperation and exchange between BFSU and Irish universities.

Ambassador Kavanagh expressed thanks for BFSU’s consistent support to the embassy. He reviewed the close cooperation between the BFSU Irish Studies Centre and the Irish embassy, especially in terms of cultural activities and publications.

Later, Minister Canney was accompanied by Peng Long and Yan Guohua on his visit to the BFSU Irish Studies Centre.

In celebration of the St. Patrick’s Day, the Irish Embassy invited a professional band and a dance group from Ireland to give a performance at BFSU. Minister Canney attended the event and delivered an address. He also presented the awards to winners of the Irish Culture Week and donated books to the BFSU Irish Studies Centre.

After the performance, delegations from Trinity College Dublin Ireland, University College Dublin, University College Cork and Dublin City University held a briefing on studying in Ireland for BFSU students.

Minister Canney’s visit was accompanied by Ke Jing, Director of the Office for International Exchange and Cooperation and Wang Zhanpeng, director of Irish Studies Centre, and Vice Dean of School of English and International Studies.