Guangdong University of Foreign Studies opened the Polish Institute. This is the third university in China offering Polish as a field of study, and the first such institution in the southern part of the country.
The newly formed Polish Institute is part of the Faculty of European Languages and Cultures. On October 8th, immediately after the break associated with the Chinese national holiday, 20 people will begin learning the Polish language. Studies will continue four years, and during their course, each student will spend at least one year on exchange at one of the few universities in Poland, with which Guangdong University of Foreign Studies cooperated, for example the University of Gdańsk - told PAP President of the university Zhong Weihe.
Zhong assured, based on market research, that future graduates of Polish studies will have no difficulty in finding good jobs in China. This was confirmed in an interview with PAP by one of the Polish teachers Krystian Zhang, who himself graduated from the Polish Studies in Beijing in 2012. "In China, few people speak Polish. China cooperates with Poland on many levels, especially in trade. We lack people who speak Polish, it is very easy for them to find a job" - he believes.
"There were 18 students in my year. 17 of them do the work associated with the Polish language" - said Zhang, who previously worked as a reporter in Polish editorial of the Chinese Radio International in Beijing, and now has returned to his hometown Guangzhou to teach at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.
It seems that the prospect of a good job was the main reason for choosing this course by students. "It will be a big market, a lot of opportunities to find a job. High demand, few candidates" - told PAP first-year student, who introduced herself with the Polish name Lucyna. She admitted the fact that she knew little about Poland and had not been interested in this country in the past. Studies have not begun yet, thanks to their teacher Zhang, students already can say a few words in Polish.
Zofia Mao, head of the institute, emphasised in an interview with PAP that there were many candidates for Polish Studies, and those who have been accepted, had high scores in the Gaokao exam (Chinese equivalent of high school exit exam). "Polish was the first choice of almost all candidates. This is important because it means that they want to learn it. They all have chosen that want to learn Polish" - she explained.
She also admitted that Polish studies will be tough, because the Polish language is very difficult for the Chinese people. "Especially grammar is very complicated. But I believe that after graduation thy will be able to communicate with the Polish people and work with the language" - said Mao.
Until now, Polish Studies has only been offered in Beijing and Harbin. Zhaoqingu and Shenyang offer Polish language as an additional course.
Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education Daria Lipińska-Nałęcz, who attended the institute opening ceremony, told PAP that approx. 150 people currently major in Polish in China, and the number continues to grow. A similar trend exists in Korea and Japan.
The opening of the institute in Guangzhou was attended by Rector of the University of Gdańsk Bernard Lammek, who signed a preliminary cooperation agreement with the President of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. Also present was the ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Beijing, Tadeusz Chomicki.
From Guangzhou Andrzej Borowiak
PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland
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