Visit to Peking University

During his working visit to China, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko visited Peking University on 30 June.

During a meeting with the leadership of Peking University, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko proposed deepening educational cooperation between Minsk and Beijing.

“Even when I was here ten years ago, I understood that something meaningful should come out of our educational cooperation with your university. Over these ten years, we have developed a joint program for training our young people at this university,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed. “But I would like you to understand how I see it: these are only the first steps. Our program needs improvement; we must go deeper so that the experience and knowledge of the young people who will study here spread widely across Belarus.”

“Receiving an education at one of the world’s leading universities is only the first step. All of this is for the sake of creating production that will be based on the education our young people obtain here,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.

The discussion of a practice-oriented approach to education arose in the context of the joint educational program in biotechnology between leading universities of the two countries. In this context, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that students trained under this program should go on to establish concrete enterprises and produce the relevant goods in Belarus based on Chinese technologies.

“First and foremost, in pharmacology. Your experience and technologies for producing medicines and vaccines are extremely important for us, especially in the biotechnological area in which we have begun cooperation,” the President emphasized.

Thus, the young specialists who received the relevant knowledge within the joint educational program will be employed in Belarus. At the same time, Chinese and Russian companies were also interested in inviting them to work.

“But I have a strict requirement: after receiving an education at your university, the young people must work in Belarus in close cooperation with Chinese companies and produce specific medicines in Belarus, in this case, for the treatment of cancer,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.

According to the head of state, this idea was supported by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who approved the joint educational program. “My friend Xi Jinping and I talked a lot about the future. And the future is high technology. Therefore, I want to congratulate you [the leadership of Peking University] that you will always remain within the field of attention of the President of the People’s Republic of China. But being in his field of attention means being under serious oversight from the leader of the PRC. Try to turn this into an advantage, first and foremost for Peking University,” Aleksandr Lukashenko concluded.

At the meeting, the parties discussed the joint Belarus-China educational program in biotechnology between leading universities of the two countries. In this context, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that students trained under this program should go on to establish concrete enterprises and produce the relevant goods in Belarus based on Chinese technologies.

“First and foremost, in pharmacology. Your experience and technologies for producing medicines and vaccines are extremely important for us, especially in the biotechnological area in which we have begun cooperation,” the President emphasized.

He noted that the young specialists who received the necessary knowledge within the joint educational program will be employed in Belarus. At the same time, Chinese and Russian companies were also interested in inviting them to work.

“But I have a strict requirement: after receiving an education at your university, the young people must work in Belarus in close cooperation with Chinese companies and produce specific medicines in Belarus, in this case, for the treatment of cancer. The President of China agreed with this idea,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.

Joint educational programs between Belarusian and Chinese higher education institutions must be practice-oriented and benefit both nations, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said during a graduation ceremony at Peking University for the first joint Belarusian-Chinese educational program in biotechnology, run by the leading universities of the two countries.

The current class of Belarusian graduates who studied in Beijing marks the first cohort under the joint Belarusian-Chinese educational program in biotechnology. The agreement for the program was signed in 2022 between Belarusian State University (BSU) and Peking University. The Belarusian head of state noted that this is only the first step and called for expanding this cooperation.

“We want the beginning made here to grow and develop. In Belarus, we want these programs to be deep, comprehensive, and practice-oriented. Otherwise, what is the point of this education if it is not fully focused on practice and does not benefit our two nations?” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

Four years ago, this year’s graduates had to overcome a highly competitive admission process to enter the joint Belarusian-Chinese program. Nevertheless, all applicants competed on a level playing field. “It didn’t matter whether it was the President’s son or an ordinary boy from a rural or urban school. They all had equal opportunities to stand on this stage,” the Belarusian leader noted.

“The selection process proved that pursuing an education in a foreign language (in this case, English) is not for everyone. Especially in biotechnology or engineering, which are not the humanities,” the head of state added. “The terminology is complex, and the scientific concepts are advanced. Studying this in a foreign language is no easy task. At the very least, no one in Belarus has reproached or will ever reproach you for getting your education here through favoritism or connections.”

The President stressed that Belarusian specialists will work in Belarus, despite drawing strong interest from Russian and Chinese companies. “These are unique and talented individuals whom many outside of Belarus are eager to employ. They have already been offered lucrative positions in big countries like China and Russia, and I am sure the West would welcome them too. But my condition is non-negotiable: we did everything possible to ensure you studied here for the benefit of Belarus,” he said. “However, science knows no borders. It cannot belong to any single nation or exist in isolation. We are ready to work from the territory of Belarus, primarily to advance the well-being of the Chinese people and everyone else who wishes to cooperate with us.”

“Specialists trained under the joint Belarusian-Chinese program will use Chinese technologies to develop high-value and essential solutions for cancer treatment,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized, adding that these are products “urgently needed worldwide.”

The head of state addressed the graduates with words of encouragement and urged them to do everything possible for the benefit of Belarus. “My friends, I am addressing you as President. You must know that you belong here, you are Belarusians. And we must do our utmost for the development of Belarus. We need to ensure that if we envy the Chinese state’s development, it is only a little bit. We must learn to do everything ourselves. We already know how to do a lot, and we have the foundation for your work. You know that you will always be supported at the highest level. So, explore and create. A great future opens up before you. Remember that the state has done a great deal for you,” he said.

Addressing the graduates, the head of state also noted that they might have wanted to get more out of their studies, yet the Chinese way must be taken into account. “To strive toward your goal quietly, calmly, without any haste or excess. The distinct feature is that they have never destroyed anything – unlike us, who unfortunately destroyed our country, the Soviet Union, and today face the consequences: war with each other. The Chinese did not do this because they were never in a hurry. They always thought before they acted,” he stated.

“I want you to understand my vision. China is a great country. Someone visiting China for the first time might not notice it, but this is my 17th visit to the People’s Republic of China. I have seen a lot here. In the face of fierce competition, this country managed to make a colossal leap forward over the last 35 years,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “Back when I was a member of the Supreme Soviet, I proposed that we take a serious look at China’s development. I said then, and I was not mistaken, that China has a great future ahead.”

The President expressed gratitude to the leadership of both Belarusian State University and Peking University for carrying out his instructions and taking the initial steps to deepen cooperation.

Following the graduation ceremony, Aleksandr Lukashenko spoke warmly with the graduates’ parents. The visit to Peking University concluded with a symbolic tree-planting ceremony at the campus’ highest point.