On Friday, 10 November 2017, the Greek class of Beijing Foreign Studies University visited the embassy of Greece in Beijing and the exhibition "Eureka! Science, Art and Technology of the Ancient Greeks", jointly held by the Museum Herakleidon and the China Science and Technology Museum, in the context of the Greece-China Year of Cultural Exchanges and Cooperation in Creative Industries.

At the embassy, the students had a meeting with Ambassador Leonidas Rokanas, and with members of the Press and Communication Office of the embassy, which organized the event. The Ambassador elaborated on Greek history and civilization, with emphasis on ancient Greek mythology, art and science as well as on the Greek language and the influence it exerted on many European languages.

Welcoming the Chinese students, the Head of the Press and Communication Office, Mr Efthymios Athanassiadis, underlined the readiness of the embassy to assist Chinese students and proposed the creation of a short video, by the students thmeselves recounting their impressions from the visit to the embassy and their experience from learning Greek, aiming to promote Greek studies and culture to young Chinese.

Embassy press officer, Ms Eleni Moutsaki, discussed with the students the importance of learning foreign languages as a tool for better understanding foreign cultures and societies. Moreover, she elaborated on the role of Information and Communication Technology in the education systems worldwide, with special reference to the e-learning programmes of Greek Universities and, in poarticular, the e-learning programme of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

It should be noted that the Beijing Foreign Studies University is a prestigious University in China with a long tradition in teaching foreign languages. Today, BFSU teaches 67 languages, among which the Greek language. Beijing Foreign Studies University is known as the “cradle of diplomats” as many of its alumni - among them 400 Ambassadors of the P.R. of China - have worked or are currently working at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In May 2017, during his official visit to Beijing, in the framework of the Belt & Road Forum, Greece’s Prime Minister, Mr Alexis Tsipras, inaugurated the Hellenic Studies Centrer of the Beijing Foreign Studies University. Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Greek Prime Minister noted the importance of culture and education in forging contacts and people-to-people exchanges, especially between young people.