His Highness Sayyid Dr. Fahd bin Al Julanda Al Said, the Vice-Chancellor, received His Excellency Xiao Jie, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China, and his accompanying delegation at the University’s Cultural Centre. The meeting took place as part of His Excellency’s official visit to the Sultanate of Oman.

At the beginning of the meeting, both parties discussed the deep-rooted ties between Oman and China, along with avenues for academic and scientific cooperation. His Highness the Vice-Chancellor emphasised the pivotal role that SQU plays in educating and preparing future leaders across a variety of fields. He also highlighted existing cooperation agreements between the University and Chinese academic institutions, particularly the agreement signed in December last year to introduce Chinese language teaching at the College of Arts and Social Sciences. His Highness further referred to the scholarships offered for study in China and the ongoing student exchange programmes between SQU and several Chinese universities.

For his part, His Excellency the guest and his accompanying delegation expressed their appreciation for the University’s national achievements, pointing to the Sultan Qaboos bin Said Chair of Arabic Studies at Peking University. Established in 2007 under the direction of the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the Chair serves as a cultural bridge between the two countries. It supports the authorship of scholarly works related to Oman–China relations, promotes translation between Arabic and Chinese, and contributes to the dissemination of distinguished academic content. The Chair also encourages student activities that help strengthen scientific and cultural cooperation.

His Excellency reaffirmed the strength of bilateral relations, underscoring the historical ties between the two friendly nations. He expressed China’s readiness to enhance mutual understanding and cooperation, especially in the fields of the humanities and culture, and emphasised the country’s openness to expanding collaboration in these areas.

At the conclusion of the meeting, His Highness the Vice-Chancellor and His Excellency the guest exchanged commemorative gifts to mark the occasion. The Chinese delegation also toured the Omani Studies Centre at the Cultural Centre, where they received a briefing on the library’s sections dedicated to Omani studies and publications, in addition to the Centre’s facilities for researchers, scholars, and those with academic interest. His Excellency also wrote a statement in the University’s visitor’s book, expressing his gratitude for the warm reception and excellent organisation, and praising the significance of the meeting and the fruitful exchange it fostered.