On April 24, China’s Space Day, two Pakistani astronauts officially entered the Astronaut Center of China to train alongside their Chinese counterparts, marking a historic step toward welcoming foreign astronauts to the China Space Station. Notably, the two candidates, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, are both graduates of a specialized Chinese language program at the Confucius Institute in Islamabad, co-established by Beijing Language and Culture University.
The journey began in late 2025 when the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission requested a tailored Chinese language course from the institute for active-duty pilots. To accommodate their demanding schedules, the institute customized an intensive curriculum focused on practical communication skills and Chinese culture. The course was extended to six weeks at the trainees' request due to its exceptional effectiveness, successfully building their linguistic competence and confidence.
In April 2026, Ali and Daud officially qualified as astronaut candidates. Upon completing all training courses and passing relevant assessments, one of them will be as a payload specialist to join a spaceflight crew, becoming the first foreign astronaut to visit the China Space Station. Ali expressed full confidence in collaborating with his Chinese colleagues, noting that while language was initially anticipated as a challenge, communication has now become completely seamless. He also conveyed sincere gratitude to the teaching team for their dedication. Daud also highly commended the institute's professional learning environment.
Jointly established by BLCU and the National University of Modern Languages, the Confucius Institute in Islamabad is the first Confucius Institute in Pakistan and also the first Confucius Institute in the entire Islamic world, having been selected as the Best Confucius Institute of the Year four times. This success stands as a prime example of the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership taking concrete shape in the space sector, while showcasing BLCU’s enduring role in bridging civilizations through international Chinese education.
（Editor: Li Yujia）
