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By Staff Reporter

A CHINESE university Tuesday conferred honorary professorship on visiting Zimbabwean President Robert Gabriel Mugabe, the state news agency Xinhua reported.

"It is in recognition of the outstanding research and remarkable contribution in the work of diplomacy and international relations by his excellency," said An Yongyu, Party secretary of China's Foreign Affairs University.

The news agency said the university, founded in 1955, is under the auspices of China's Foreign Ministry and renowned for being "the cradle of Chinese diplomats."

"We know that people know very well that the president is a man of strong will and achievements,a man safeguarding world peace whole-heartedly, and a good friend of the Chinese people," An said.

Mugabe is on a state visit to China from July 23 to 28, at the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao. This is his seventh visit to China.

At the ceremony, Mugabe said it is a "special" title to him and he is "experiencing a completely new honor."

"I am being made a profession, a teacher again, after I had quitted teaching for a political career," his words triggered a burst of laugh.

The 81-year-old president had engaged himself in education during the period of between 1942 and 1960.

Shortly after the ceremony, the "president professor" delivered his first lecture at the university, with his topics ranging from democracy and the UN reform to the regional cooperation and Zimbabwe's one-China policy.

"Now that I am also a member of it (the university), surely, I must do my part in enhancing the capacity of the university, and also make recommendations for the improvement of the curriculum," he said.
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