Islamabad: Sixteen new students have enrolled for an Urdu language course at a Chinese university this year, "reflecting the popularity" of the widely-spoken dialect from across the border in Pakistan, an educator from the varsity said. 

"We have a new batch in every fourth year,” Zhou Yuan, Head of Urdu Department, School of Asian and African Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) told the Associated Press of Pakistan on Sunday. 

Zhou Yuan, who goes by the name 'Nasreen' for her students, added that besides teaching Urdu, the BFSU department also organizes competitions in Urdu calligraphy and speech and cultural activities "to improve students' skills" and create more awareness "about Pakistan, its culture and people". 

“Some of these students were especially invited by the Pakistan Embassy 

in Beijing to attend the birth anniversary of Allama Dr. Muhammad Iqbal where they recited poetry of the great poet,” she added. 

The BFSU's Urdu Department was set up in 2007 with 51 students completing the four-year degree course so far.  

Zhou Yuan said some students were sent to Pakistan universities for six months "to get a better chance to improve their speaking and writing skills". 

"The increased interest in learning Urdu means that more students from around China are interested to learn the national language of Pakistan, the all-weather friend and strategic cooperative partner of China," she said. 

A dedicated department for the Urdu language was first established at the Peking University in Beijing, the capital city of China, in 1951. 

Later, more varsities joined in by adding the language to their course studies in the Chinese cities of Xian, Guangzhou and Kunming. 

Zhou Yuan says the reasons for learning Urdu vary.  

"Some students have been romanced by Pakistan’s culture, food and landscape; others by the beauty of the language itself. Yet, a large number see learning Urdu as a practical means of eventually working with companies undertaking projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework in Pakistan." 

Pakistan and China's ties have deepened in recent years with Beijing pledging about $60 billion for infrastructure in the neighbouring country, particularly for China's Belt and Road initiative, which includes the prestigious CPEC project.