On May 15, a delegation of faculty and students from the Saudi School in Beijing, led by its Director Essa A. Almalki and Deputy-director Abdul Monem Ahmed, visited Nankai University. Chen Jun, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Vice President of Nankai University, attended the welcome ceremony.

In his remarks, Chen Jun extended a warm welcome to the delegation. He highlighted Saudi Arabia as a key strategic partner of China in the Middle East and one of the earliest supporters of the Belt and Road Initiative. He noted the long-standing friendship and deepening cooperation between the two countries, which have yielded fruitful results. He stressed that Nankai University attaches great importance to educational cooperation with Arab countries, and expressed hope that the visiting students would take this opportunity to better understand China, and explore Tianjin and Nankai University to experience the unique charm of Chinese culture. He also expressed the wish that this visit would mark a new starting point for deeper collaboration between Nankai University and Saudi Arabian universities, and looked forward to welcoming more students from the Middle East in the future.

Essa A. Almalki expressed his appreciation for Nankai University’s warm reception and thoughtful arrangements. He spoke of the strong ties and frequent exchanges between Saudi Arabia and China, and the broad prospects for cooperation. He hoped the visit would serve as a platform to explore avenues for collaboration, enhance student services, and promote the exchange of educational and research practices to further improve teaching quality.

During the visit, the delegation visited various institutions at Nankai University, including the College of Artificial Intelligence, the College of Cryptology and Cyber Science, the College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, the College of Software, the School of Medicine, the School of Economics, the School of Mathematical Sciences, and the College of Chemistry. They engaged in face-to-face discussions with faculty members and students at the university, gaining a deeper understanding of the distinctive strengths across disciplines at the university.

（Edited and translated by Nankai News Team.)