Monrovia, Liberia – Augustine Saah, Senate Director of Press and Public Affairs for Liberia, and Lawrence Johnson, National Youth and Student Coordinator in the Office of the President Pro Tempore, departed Monrovia on Tuesday to attend seminars for advanced diplomatic training in Beijing, China.
The two officials arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, June 3, along with several others from around the world for the crucial programme organised by China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU), according to a press release from the Press and Public Affairs.
Known as “The Cradle of Chinese Diplomats”, the university functions under the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. CFAU, which was established in September 1955 at the late Premier Zhou Enlai’s suggestion, focuses on business, law, international studies, and foreign service.
Over the course of its 71-year existence, the school has produced some 40,000 graduates who are currently employed in international relations and diplomacy across the globe. The Liberian delegation will take part in in-person instruction in English that combines field trips, interactive talks, and themed lectures.
China’s national circumstances, foreign policy, political system, economic environment, history and culture, the Belt and Road Initiative, and major-country relations are among the subjects covered in lectures. Outside of the classroom, participants will travel cities outside of Beijing to explore local socioeconomic growth and cultural legacy, as well as tour governmental and private institutions.
The programme’s objective is to improve knowledge of China’s development model and policies while developing professional skills in diplomacy and China-related matters. Currently, CFAU has more than 200 full-time faculty members, 60% of whom are professors or associate professors. Additionally, the university accommodates thirty senior diplomats and researchers as guest teachers in addition to more than ten foreign experts.
CFAU has conducted more than 200 programmes for more than 4,000 officials from more than 150 countries since it was designated as one of China’s first five national foreign aid training institutes in 2008. The workshop aims to improve communication and collaboration between countries in the Global South and help “build a community with a shared future for mankind”, according to its organizers.
