Universities in Belarus are showing great interest in expanding their cooperation with Chinese schools due to a rising demand for Chinese-speaking graduates and an increasing number of students interested in learning to speak Chinese.

Irina Starovoitova, first deputy minister of education, said Belarus and China are celebrating the 26th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year and are undertaking closer cultural and educational exchanges under the Belt and Road Initiative.

This year has been designated China Education Exchange Year in Belarus, with several initiatives being implemented by governments and universities in both countries.

"We hope the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the China Education Exchange Year will help Chinese people know more about our country, our history, our culture and our educational system, thus boosting bilateral cooperation among the universities and language research institutes," Starovoitova said in an interview with China Daily.

Belarus has been paying much attention to its educational system since attaining independence from Russia in 1991.

The Eastern European country has a population of about 9 million, with 51 advanced educational institutes and more than 400 professions, with research in the fields of medical devices, information communication, nuclear energy and robotics among the best in the world.

"We always believe that you need to travel in a country to know about its culture, and you need to study in a country to know about its education," Starovoitova said.