Tajik President Emomali Rahmon urged more active cooperation in the education sector as he made a trip to the prestigious Peking University on Tuesday as part of his state visit to China.
Rahmon arrived in Beijing on Monday to begin a four-day state visit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the two leaders holding talks on Tuesday and vowing to strengthen ties which are already at their strongest level in history.
The growing people-to-people exchanges are seen the driving force of the friendship between the two countries. The two sides already enjoy close exchanges in education with Tajikstan's Khovar news agency noting last year that there were more than 5,000 Tajik students studying in China.
During his trip to Peking University, one of China's leading academic institutions, Rahmon gave a speech in which he encouraged Tajik students to cherish their study experience in China.
"China is a country like paradise, offering you such favorable conditions, which you must cherish. We hope to cooperate with Chinese universities in civil engineering, other engineering fields, science and agriculture. We are eager to learn professional expertise," he said.
Gong Qihuang, the President of Peking University, said he hopes Rahmon's visit will open a new chapter for cooperation.
"As one of the earliest countries to support the Belt and Road Initiative, Tajikistan is actively promoting the National Development Strategy of Tajikistan up to the period of 2030 and deeply aligning it with the Belt and Road Initiative," said Gong.
President Rahmon was also awarded an honorary professorship by Peking University, and he quickly made use of his new title.
"Now that I am an honorary professor of Peking University, I finally have the chance to come here and give a speech every year. If the university can increase the number of scholarships for Tajik students, then I will come twice a year," he said.
Tajik students who attended the event also voiced their hopes and expectations for the future.
"There are many opportunities in China, and it's great to stay here. But in the future, I want to use this knowledge in my own country to help my country develop further," said one of the students.
"I'm currently a third-year undergraduate student at the University of International Business and Economics, and I hope I can pursue a master's degree at Peking University," said another.
Tajik President Rahmon pays visit to prestigious Peking University
The Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum in south China's Guangdong Province has received over four million visitors since opening on May 1 last year.
In addition to gaining astounding popularity, the museum has been selected as one of the "World's Most Beautiful Museums" by UNESCO.
One morning during the first anniversary period of its opening, the museum was already packed with student groups and family visitors as early as 10:00.
To the delight of the hundreds of children attending on that day, the museum is filled with highly interactive exhibits that are as fun as they are educational. In the AI ping-pong robot zone, visitors play matches against a robot, which adjusts its difficulty level in real time according to human opponent's skill, precisely matching ball speed and strength.
"I tried seven or eight exhibits. My favorite is the ping-pong. The experience showed me how powerful science can be, and the ping-pong robot made me realize that machines can be so amazing," said Mo Jiquan, a young student from Guangdong's Zhongshan City.
In the "Smart Industry" hall, a group of students from Singapore learned to race model cars controlled by brainwaves.
By pressing foreheads against an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal collection device and concentrating, the students used the power of their minds to propel the cars forward.
"Science fiction has become reality. These things are different from what we learn at school. For example, these brainwave-control devices, we have never seen anything like them. So I think it's a new and very meaningful experience," said Chen Mengfanglin, a student from Singapore.
Among the museum's 950 innovative exhibits, such as brain-computer interfaces, simulated space capsules, dexterous hands, 80 percent offer deep interactive experiences.
More importantly, these exhibits are dynamically updated as industrial technologies evolve.
"I think this place is very futuristic and fun. This is my second time here. I feel that there are more exhibits, and the technology has advanced," said Wu Zining, a Shenzhen student.
According to the museum, visitor numbers remain steady on weekdays, surge significantly during holidays, and overseas visitors have seen a notable increase since the beginning of this year.
"Our museum receives between 2,000 and 5,000 visitors on weekdays. On holidays, we get around 30,000 visitors per day. Since the beginning of this year, the number of overseas visitors has also risen significantly," Zhang Haitian, director of the Exchange and Cooperation Center of the museum.
Unlike traditional science museums that simply display items alongside written explanations, the Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum has pioneered an approach that combines innovation, public outreach, and education into one seamless experience.
Over the past year, it has collected 39 technology transfer projects, held 10 "deep science and technology" project matchmaking events, and brought research institutes, leading enterprises, investors, and the public together, creating a new ecosystem linking government, enterprises, research institutes, and the museum.
"On the basis of the original basic functions of a science and technology museum, we have taken a bolder step forward. We have extensive links with sci-tech innovation companies, so a steady stream of new technologies, achievements, products and ideas flow into the museum. We also have close interactions with science fiction and cultural heritage sectors, integrating science and technology with culture and art. Through flexible cooperation with various industries, this approach has opened up unlimited possibilities for the entire science and technology museum," said Zheng Yongchun, head of the museum.
Interactive sci-tech museum in south China hosts 4 million visitors in first year
