The Confucius Institute has been established in Kathmandu University with the joint efforts of the China’s Hebei University of Economics and Business and the Kathmandu University on Wednesday.

The establishment was approved by the Office of the Chinese Language Council International on May 16 this year. The Hebei Economic and Trade University has been given the authority to manage Chinese language and culture programmes for the institute.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Education and Sports Ministry Pradip Nepal the establishment of the institute would help Nepali students learn Chinese language and understand Chinese culture to strengthen the bilateral relationship, and promote the communication in the fields of education, culture and tourism.

Wang Ying, the president of Hebei University of Economics and Business said the institute would provide favourable conditions for Nepali students to learn Chinese language, to fully understand China and provide a platform for economic development, international exchange, and multivariate cooperation between the two universities and the two countries.

Suresh Raj Sharma, vice-chancellor of Kathmandu University, said as a not-for-profit public body, Confucius Institute will provide quality education in the areas crucial for Nepal’s development such as health sciences, engineering, energy studies, environmental science, biotechnology, pharmaceutical science and other natural sciences, management studies, teacher education and many areas of arts.