On the 21^st of November, RUC University Council Chairwoman JIN Nuo met with the Polish Ambassador Miroslaw Gajewski. Both sides held talks about how to further collaboration between the high-level academic institutions of their respective nations. Also attending this meeting was Vice President YI Zhihong. The meeting began with Chairwoman JIN expressing a warm welcome to the Ambassador. She then gave him a brief introduction of the University, noting that RUC is a comprehensive research university with a particular focus on the humanities and social sciences, with 9 of its disciplines – theoretical and applied economics, law, political science, sociology, journalism and media, statistics, industry and business administration, and public administration – ranked first amongst Chinese universities. China and Poland have a long-standing friendship, and many Polish students have come to RUC to study. She concluded stating that in line with the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative, RUC welcomes the continued flow of students from Poland, and hopes that there will be continued and extended collaborative partnerships formed between Poland and China. Following, Ambassador Gajewski noted the well-established friendly relationship between China and Poland, and the contribution that visits between the two countries by heads of state had made to strengthen that relationship. He continued, lauding RUC as an outstanding university, with great reach and effect both nationally and internationally, saying that RUC and Warsaw University have always maintained a healthy collaborative relationship. Ambassador Gajewski hoped that this visit would serve as a turning point, to help spur on collaborative partnerships between the two countries. Also in attendance at the meeting was the Director of the International Office ZHANG Xiaojing, the RUC-St Petersburg State University Sino-Russian Research Centre Director GUAN Xueling and Deputy Director WANG Xianju and others. Following the meeting, Ambassador Gajewski gave a lecture in the Eurasia Lecture Theatre titled “Key Foreign Policies of the Republic of Poland.” Prior to the lecture Vice President YI Zhihong gave an oration, in which she reflected on the tradition and development of friendly relations between China and Poland. She stated that China and Poland were allied during the Second World War, and gave each other much help and support. Poland was also one of the first nations to formally recognise the PRC as the legitimate government of China. In November of last year, Polish President Andrzej Duda visited China, expressing his hope that Poland could become an important partner of China’s ‘Belt and Road’ initiative. This year, in June, President XI Jinping conducted a formal state visit of Poland, with both parties agreeing to form an important strategic partnership. Vice President YI continued, saying that RUC, as a leader in the field of humanities and the social sciences in China, views with great importance the continuing relationship and collaboration with Polish and indeed all European high-level academic institutions, expressing hope that from this day on both our nations can work hard and develop education so as to produce high quality graduates. In this, we will also be able to solidify the traditional relationship between our two nations, to create a platform for progress and to contribute to the development of our two nations. Ambassador Gajewski then began his talk, discussing in detail the important developments in Polish foreign policy over the last year, including attitudes and measures towards the “Belt and Road” initiative and the “16+1” framework. He stated that the main objective of Polish foreign policy was to build Poland’s global influence. Whilst Poland is concurrently developing relations with the US and the EU, it does not wish that its economy relies too heavily on one region – it is due to this fact that it must also develop relations with China. Polish foreign policy is positive and in no ways antagonistic, and does not want to compromise its current relationships with other nations. Polish foreign policy is firm, but also open to the world, and supports and encourages dialogue. He noted that Polish foreign policy and Chinese foreign policy have much in common. Following the lecture, Ambassador Gajewski took questions with regards the Sino-Polish relationship, the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative and the “16+1” framework, Poland’s function within the EU, and the future of the US-Polish relationship in light of the Trump administration. The discussion was presided over by Professor GUAN Xueling. Other distinguished guests from the Polish embassy were in attendance at the lecture.