NEVSEHIR, Türkiye, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Nevsehir Haci Bektas Veli University in Türkiye's Cappadocia region is seeking to deepen ties with China in education, technology and culture, according to Semih Aktekin, the university's rector.
"Our university is located in Cappadocia, home to ancient civilizations and also on the Silk Road. When you talk about the Silk Road, it is impossible not to talk about China," Aktekin told Xinhua in a recent interview, noting that the university's location and its historical links to the ancient Silk Road provide a natural foundation for expanding cooperation with China.
This year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Türkiye, a milestone that Aktekin believes offers fresh momentum for expanding ties between universities and people from both countries.
The rector said that the university has established a Chinese Language and Literature Department and is working to broaden cooperation with Chinese universities across multiple disciplines.
"Cappadocia is also associated with ceramics," he said. "Therefore, we have opportunities to cooperate with China in culture, art, history and tourism."
Beyond cultural fields, Aktekin highlighted China's rapid advances in engineering, technology and artificial intelligence, saying these developments have created new opportunities for academic collaboration.
"In recent years, China has made remarkable progress in engineering and technology. Artificial intelligence has also become one of the world's major priorities, and Chinese companies have achieved significant accomplishments in this field," he said.
He noted that the university is already cooperating with Chinese institutions and hopes to deepen those partnerships, particularly in emerging technologies.
To observe China's scientific and technological development firsthand, he had visited China with a university delegation.
"We witnessed China's scientific and technological advances on site. There have been tremendous developments," he said, adding that "for this reason, we signed various agreements with Chinese universities covering scientific research, technology, fine arts and language studies."
Aktekin expressed hope that these partnerships would continue expanding through more joint research projects, academic exchanges and institutional cooperation.
"We hope this cooperation will continue to grow even stronger," the scholar said.
Reflecting on the broader relationship between the two countries, Aktekin described China and Türkiye as civilizations with long histories whose shared heritage can provide a strong basis for future cooperation.
"China and Türkiye are two ancient civilizations that have left significant marks on world history," he said. "Just as in the past, representatives of these two ancient cultures have broad opportunities to cooperate in science, culture, art, politics and the media."
As China and Türkiye continue to strengthen exchanges across education, tourism and innovation, universities can play an increasingly important role in bringing together students, researchers and cultural institutions, Aktekin said, expressing confidence that deeper academic cooperation will contribute to stronger bilateral relations in the years ahead.■
