Turkish students awarded scholarship for Chinese language proficiency

China's Acting Consul General in Istanbul Wu Jian (6th R, back) poses for photos with Turkish students from Istanbul-based Okan University who were awarded a consul-general scholarship for their excellency in the Chinese language in the university's grand complex in the Tuzla district of Istanbul, Türkiye, May 22, 2023. (Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua)

ISTANBUL, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A total of 29 Turkish students from Istanbul-based Okan University were awarded a consul-general scholarship for their excellency in the Chinese language.

An award ceremony was held in the university's grand complex on Monday in the Tuzla district on the Asian side of Istanbul.

The Chinese Consul-General Scholarship aims to encourage Turkish college students to study the Chinese language and culture in order to deepen people-to-people exchanges and friendship between the two countries.

Before the ceremony, China's Acting Consul General in Istanbul Wu Jian met with Mithat Kiyak, acting rector of the university, to discuss ways to carry out cooperation in promoting Chinese among the Turkish people.

China attaches great importance to student exchanges between the two countries, Wu said.

Kiyak, for his part, said his university, home to a Confucius Institute, is ready to boost cooperation with Chinese institutions.