Scholars, diplomats and trade officials gathered in Guangzhou for the 2026 Area Studies Forum of Guangdong University of Technology (GDUT) on October 29.
The forum, themed "South-South Cooperation and Institutionally Distinctive Area Studies," reimagined area studies through an industrial lens amid deepening South-South ties.
Chen Zhuowu, deputy Party secretary of GDUT, laid out the university's distinctive approach to area research at the opening ceremony. He said GDUT prioritizes interdisciplinary integration, bridging humanities and social sciences including foreign languages, economics and law, with science, engineering and industrial disciplines. Rather than following conventional area studies frameworks, the university designs research agendas rooted in the industrialization experiences of Global South nations. The aim is to tackle real-world obstacles to South-South cooperation in manufacturing, technology sharing and industrial supply chains.
Chen Guoqing, second-level inspector with the Guangdong Provincial Committee of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said companies from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area going overseas urgently need staff with a broad mix of international skills.
He called for integrated training systems that combine language proficiency, country-specific knowledge, local conditions, industry expertise and international trade know-how, to cultivate professionals who can navigate overseas markets smoothly.
The forum also featured remarks from Diego Hernán Boriosi, consul general of Argentina in Guangzhou. As Argentina itself belongs to the Global South, Boriosi drew on his country's own experience to frame two-way exchanges between Guangdong and Argentina.
He pointed to the roughly 100,000 Chinese residents living in Argentina, the majority of whom trace their roots to Fujian Province, as a vital bridge linking the two sides. Research focused on this community, he argued, would greatly strengthen China-Argentina diplomatic relations and help deliver on cooperation agreements signed between GDUT and his home university, the University of Buenos Aires, as well as the National University of La Plata.
Turning to artificial intelligence, Boriosi rejected the idea that machine translation would make language learning unnecessary. He drew a parallel: just as the telephone never made diplomacy irrelevant, AI cannot take the place of formal language instruction. He said the consulate will keep backing Spanish-language education, including the form of Spanish used in Argentina. He voiced support for GDUT's ongoing efforts to launch a Spanish major, and promised to facilitate links between the university and Argentine organizations for future joint work.
The forum was co-hosted by GDUT and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Alliance for Area and Country Studies. On the sidelines of the academic conference, GDUT's School of International Studies signed an agreement with Guangzhou Broadcasting Network to set up a joint internship program. The partnership will create practical training opportunities for students, linking foreign language education with professional media and international communication practice.
Reporter | Dong Han
Photos | Dong Han
