On October 14, Franck Adjagba, Ambassador of the Republic of Benin to China, visited Beijing Normal University (BNU) and held talks with the Institute of Global Teacher Development. Wang Ming, Vice President of BNU, attended the meeting and delivered remarks. Yi Huixia, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Continuing Education and Teacher Training, chaired the meeting.

Wang Ming welcomed Ambassador Adjagba and his delegation. He introduced BNU’s history, distinctive strengths in teacher education, and international cooperation. He noted that in March 2025, China's Ministry of Education established the Institute of Global Teacher Development, with BNU serving as the lead institution, to coordinate and advance international exchanges and cooperation in teacher education. Wang expressed BNU’s willingness to leverage its strengths in teacher education through initiatives such as teacher training, digital education cooperation, international student recruitment, and educational policy research. These efforts would support Benin’s education vision, “Excellence for All, from Kindergarten to First Job,” and create new opportunities for China-Benin and China-Africa cooperation in teacher development.

Ambassador Adjagba thanked BNU for its warm reception. He outlined the current state of educational reform and development in Benin, as well as the country’s pressing needs. He emphasized that the Beninese government places education at the heart of national development and is making every effort to advance its vision of “Excellence for All: from Kindergarten to First Job.” He noted the urgent need to strengthen the teaching workforce, improve the quality of basic education, and promote digital transformation in education. Benin looks forward to learning from BNU’s experience in teacher education and educational development. The ambassador expressed hope that the visit would serve as an opportunity to establish a regular communication mechanism between relevant Beninese authorities and BNU and to deepen practical cooperation in teacher training, international student education, and the development of digital educational resources. The two sides aim to build a model of South-South cooperation and China-Africa friendship.

During the meeting, relevant heads from BNU’s Provost's Office and Academic Affairs (Graduate School), the Institute of Global Teacher Development, and the Faculty of Education gave presentations on study-in-China programs, the development of the Institute of Global Teacher Development, China’s national teacher development plans during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, BNU’s "Project to Strengthen Teaching Force," and the China-Africa Deans of Education Forum. The two sides held in-depth discussions on international student education, teacher education, and China-Africa educational cooperation.