GCWUS, Japanese firm sign MoU to establish language center

SIALKOT, Aug 28 (APP):Government College Women University Sialkot (GCWUS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AR Tradings Japan on Friday to jointly establish a Center of Excellence for Modern International Languages (CEMIL) at the university’s Fatima Jinnah campus.

The agreement follows a series of consultations between the company’s Director, Chaudhry Ali Mohammed Asghar, and university leadership, including the Vice Chancellor, the Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Humanities, the Director of External Linkages, and the Director of the Center of Excellence for Industry-Academia Linkages and Development for Sialkot (CEILDS). The initiative aims to create a dedicated language-learning facility for university students and the wider regional youth community.

Under the accord, AR Tradings Japan will fully fund the establishment of CEMIL. The first phase will feature international instructors teaching languages such as Japanese, Korean, German, Portuguese, Chinese, and French, alongside a state-of-the-art facility equipped with modern hardware and software.

In its subsequent phase, the center’s programs will expand to include male learners from both within and outside Sialkot, transforming the facility into a broad community resource. University officials emphasized that foreign language proficiency remains a critical barrier for students pursuing overseas education and a valuable asset for the international workforce. The center aims to subsidize language training to help graduates and skilled workers access global job markets.

During the ceremony, CEILDS Director Sohaib Saleem proposed the creation of a certified multi-language translation facility within CEMIL, operated by trained professionals to provide translation services acceptable to embassies across Pakistan.

University authorities also announced that CEMIL will lay the groundwork for an International Student Office focused initially on nations whose languages are taught at the center. The office will guide students through international admissions and connect graduates with overseas employment opportunities, functioning alongside the backing of relevant embassies and foreign labor and education ministries.

“This is a true milestone in the transformation of our students and the future workforce for the developed economies of the world,” said GCWUS Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Shazia Bashir.