Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) has appointed Prof Zameerpal Kaur Sandhu Bajwa as a foreign expert in South Asian Studies and Punjabi language for the 2026-27 academic session.Bajwa is currently a professor and former Dean of the School of Languages, Literature and Culture, at the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda.For upcoming two semesters, Bajwa will teach courses on Punjabi language, literature and folklore; Punjab’s history and culture; Sanskrit poetics and literary theories; and the Urdu language to Chinese students, officials and diplomats specialising in foreign studies at the Chinese university.During her tenure, she will also have the opportunity to learn Chinese as the university offers a special language course designed specifically for its foreign experts.The university teaches 101 foreign languages, including Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil and Sanskrit. It teaches the official languages of 183 countries that have developed diplomatic relations with China.In a conversation with The Tribune, Professor Bajwa said, “Over the years, the BFSU has trained a significant number of professionals with strong linguistic and intercultural competence who serve both within and beyond China as diplomats, ambassadors, counsellors, translators, interpreters, journalists, lawyers and bankers.”She added, “The BFSU is a premier institution under China’s Ministry of Education and is widely known as a cradle for diplomats, having produced over 400 ambassadors and more than 2,000 counsellors.”She is a highly qualified academic with a PhD from Punjabi University and a postdoctoral fellowship from the University Grants Commission (UGC). She holds multiple master’s degrees in Punjabi, Sanskrit and Anthropological Linguistics, along with qualifications in Urdu, Persian and computer applications, and has also done a diploma in electrical engineering.Before joining the Central University of Punjab in 2009, she taught at AS College for Women, Khanna.Central University of Punjab Vice-Chancellor Raghavendra P Tiwari congratulated Prof Zameerpal Kaur.