As the Yuzhong District of Chongqing Municipality accelerates efforts to position itself as a world-class cultural tourism destination, Vice Mayor Lai Liang of the Yuzhong District People’s Government visited Sichuan International Studies University (SISU) on May 27 to explore opportunities for strategic collaboration.

The visit focused on how SISU’s strengths in multilingual education, international communication, and cross-cultural training could support Yuzhong’s vision. SISU President Dong Hongchuan and Vice President Yan Gongjun met with the delegation to discuss actionable pathways for joint development, including the establishment of a multilingual cultural tourism service center as a first step.

President Dong Hongchuan welcomed the delegation and outlined SISU’s mission to serve national strategies and contribute to regional development. He emphasized the university’s role as a leading base for foreign language education and international talent cultivation in Southwest China. With its interdisciplinary “Foreign Languages Plus” model, SISU has developed a distinctive capability to serve cross-border business, diplomatic communication, and cultural exchange. Dong noted that these strengths place the university in a unique position to contribute meaningfully to Yuzhong’s transformation into a high-level cultural tourism hub with global reach.

Vice Mayor Lai expressed appreciation for SISU’s warm reception and affirmed the district’s ambition to become a cultural and tourism powerhouse. As the historic core of Chongqing and a gateway for international exchange, Yuzhong District faces growing demand for multilingual services and international-facing infrastructure. Lai proposed deepening cooperation in the following areas: co-developing an innovation platform, establishing a cultural tourism communication matrix with international reach, forming a legal services alliance for foreign-related affairs, and advancing international medical tourism.

In response, Vice President Yan Gongjun presented a detailed cooperation framework and proposed launching the “Chongqing International Cultural Tourism Multilingual Service Center” as a showcase project. The center would focus on delivering multilingual services, supporting cultural tourism product outreach, conducting training for international tourism professionals, and enhancing global communication through multimodal strategies. Yan also recommended setting up a joint working group to coordinate initiatives and ensure timely progress on key projects.

Dai Bin, dean of the School of International Business and Management, SISU, reported on recent developments in areas such as talent training, curriculum design, and the planning of internship and training bases. He highlighted the groundwork already laid for the proposed service center and emphasized the university’s readiness to move forward. The two sides reached consensus on the core terms of a cooperation and committed to translating the shared vision into concrete actions.

This visit marked a new stage in the strategic partnership between SISU and Yuzhong District. Looking ahead, SISU will continue to leverage its disciplinary expertise and global perspective to help Yuzhong build a leading platform for cultural and tourism integration in Western China—a national model for cultural consumption and a destination of global significance.