On November 13, the Islamic Association in Lanzhou celebrated the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Islamic Sciences Institute in Lanzhou. The event was attended by a number of government and religious leaders at the provincial and state levels. Among them were Yang Faming, the President of the Chinese Islamic Association and President of the Islamic Sciences Institute in Beijing, Mo Kefa, his deputy, Ma Wenyun, the President of the Islamic Association in Gansu Province, and Chin Khe, the Deputy Governor of Gansu Province and Director of the Religious Affairs Office in the province, along with several religious figures in the province.
In his speech, President Yang Faming said that over the past forty years, the Lanzhou Institute of Islamic Sciences has always raised the banner of nationalism high, committed to managing educational institutions properly, focused on highlighting the characteristics of institute management, with a focus on quality, emphasizing discipline and good teacher selection, and training religious talents. The institute has been a pioneer in academic research, cultural exchange, and community service, achieving remarkable results that have been praised at the national level. He proposed that the Lanzhou Institute of Islamic Sciences should adhere to the main direction of developing youth with strong Islamic morals, forming a strong force of outstanding teachers, focusing on the economic aspects of all educational processes, facilitating main channels for talent training, and giving a Chinese twist to Islam in our country as a direction for managing the institute, following the correct religious path according to Chinese characteristics.
He also emphasized the need to prepare more national religious figures in the new era who are imbued with strong noble values, broad minds, sincere feelings, and a constant emphasis on the correct vision of history, ethnicity, country, and culture. They should contribute to the comprehensive progress of building a strong state, renewing the nation's youth through studying diligently, hard work, dedication, and selflessness.
In his speech, Deputy Governor Chin Khe, representing the Party Committee of Gansu Province, fully acknowledged the achievements of the Lanzhou Institute of Islamic Sciences in the past forty years. He emphasized the importance of always committing to the correct direction of managing educational institutions, enhancing the Chinese influence on Islam in our country, improving the level of teaching management effectively, continuing to strengthen building the institute, and striving to develop students who can be politically relied upon to be future leaders. They should have the ability to persuade and be effective in critical situations, as China needs a new generation proud of their great motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, and the Chinese Communist Party.
In this event, Ma Dongsheng, the president of Lanzhou Institute of Islamic Sciences, gave a welcoming speech to the guests, while several senior guests shared words of congratulations on this occasion.
Teachers, students, representatives of the graduates of Lanzhou Islamic School, and representatives of Islamic schools from all over the country participated in this event, collectively visiting the exhibition of achievements, calligraphy and painting, and more.
The Lanzhou Institute of Islamic Sciences is a religious institution for higher education founded in 1984 with the approval of the State Council and the Gansu Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. In 2008, it obtained the official government license as a "training center for Islamic religious figures in Gansu Province."
The institute currently has 266 students, 20 faculty members (2 associate professors, 10 lecturers, 8 assistant teachers), 15 external teachers (2 professors, 3 associate professors, 5 lecturers, 5 teaching assistants), and 12 administrative and service staff members.
Most teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and most religious studies professors have studied in well-known foreign colleges and universities, have taught in mosques, and have a high level of knowledge in Islam. The appointed teachers are university professors, renowned service imams, and famous Islamic scholars.
The duration of study at the institute is 5 years, and the main subjects include the Quran, Hadith, Islamic theology, Sharia law, philosophy, ethics, Islamic history, and others. Cultural subjects include Arabic language, university-level Chinese, rhetoric, translation, writing, as well as other subjects like modern history, politics, and law.
The institute accepts male Muslim youth who have a high school diploma or its equivalent from private education, are aged between 18-25, have some basic knowledge, and admission is based on merit.
The institute covers an area of 8.72 acres, including comprehensive teaching buildings, offices, residential service buildings, with a construction area of over 7300 square meters. It includes a spacious mosque, library, versatile classrooms, computer labs, multimedia lecture halls, and more.
It also includes student dormitories, cafeterias, bath and water facilities, electricity, heating, and other living service amenities, making the institute one of the best educational institutions among Islamic scientific institutes in the country.
