Cui Xiliang, President of Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU), a member of the Chinese-African People's Friendship Association, explains what his school has to offer:

BLCU is the only university of its kind in China with the primary task of teaching Chinese language and culture to foreign students.

In the 50 years since the school's founding, BLCU has taught Chinese language and culture to more than 150,000 international students from 176 countries and regions around the world. Its graduates leave proficient in Chinese language and familiar with Chinese culture.

Renowned as a kind of "students' United Nations," BLCU annually enrolls around 10,000 international students from 140 countries and regions alongside 6,000 Chinese students. This ratio makes for a uniquely diversified campus environment.

The school has always attached great importance to international exchanges and cooperation with outside institutions. As China develops its communication on the international stage, BLCU focuses on building more extensive and close contact with its counterparts from other countries. It has built solid connections with 280 universities and educational institutions in 50 countries around the world, establishing a comprehensive, multi-field, deep-rooted and fruitful international education methodology.

BLCU is among the first Chinese universities to have participated in educational assistance to Africa. Since 1973, nearly 5,000 African students from 52 African countries have studied at BLCU's Beijing campus – the largest amount of Africans to be found among all of the universities in China. At present, there are 186 doctoral students, graduate students and undergraduate students from 42 African countries matriculating at BLCU.

Since the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in the year 2000, educational cooperation between China and Africa has been raised to a strategic level – a level that keeps expanding and diversifying. Remarkable achievements have been made in faculty resources and student exchange, and inter-school cooperation and Chinese language teaching since FOCAC's first conference was held.

In its efforts to contribute to China-Africa relations and cooperation, BLCU is active in establishing a platform for educational exchange. Starting in 2008, delegations from the school have paid visits to Egypt, Sudan and other countries, strengthening their ties with African universities.

BLCU has also participated in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Education. After BLCU was included in the "20+20 Cooperation Project Among China-Africa Universities" in 2010, it actively carried out education and research cooperation with Suez Canal University in Egypt. Based on that recent initiative, 160 undergraduates and 20 graduates have studied under these educational cooperation programs. Four Chinese majors hailing from Egypt are studying at BLCU for their Ph.D degree. The school has offered scholarships to all of Ph.D students.

BLCU is also famous for its "language-partner culture." Every international student is paired with a Chinese student who helps him/her with Chinese language and to integrate into Chinese society. Students also receive help from faculty and university staff with daily living and study issues.

BLCU is a special university. As a place of education, it is a cradle of talents, providing international communication between China and the rest of the world.