The Instituto Cervantes de Dakar and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Senegal (Camacoe) signed, this Monday in Dakar, a general cooperation protocol aimed at strengthening their collaboration in the development of cultural and educational activities of common interest. This agreement intends to promote the exchange of knowledge and resources between the two institutions, while encouraging cultural and educational initiatives in the region.
According to Ramón Nicolau, president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Senegal, Spanish is spoken by 600 million people worldwide. This makes it the second language of global communication, as Concha Barcelo Estevan, director of the Dakar Cervantes Institutes also recalls.
“The Chamber of Commerce brings together 62 companies, which have generated many jobs. This agreement will allow many people, whether they come from Spanish or Senegalese companies collaborating with Spain, to learn Spanish. It marks an important step towards better accessibility of the language. We make available to the Instituto Cervantes our central offices in order to bring Spanish closer to the populations, ”said Ramón Nicolau.
Continuing, he stressed that Spanish represents a real bridge for communication, learning and commercial, cultural and social cooperation. “It is through mutual understanding that respect is born and that links are woven. It is in this spirit that we make our spaces available to the Institute, ”he said.
For its part, Concha Barcelo Estevan recalled that the Instituto Cervantes is a public institution dedicated to the promotion of learning Spanish, with more than 1,000 teachers mobilized. She explained that the agreement will make it possible to introduce the teaching of Spanish in downtown Dakar (plateau) thanks to rooms made available by the Chamber of Commerce.
“Our objective is to allow the population of the city center to access Spanish courses. This agreement strengthens the impact of cultural and educational initiatives carried out jointly. He also provides for an exchange of information of mutual interest between the two institutions, “she said. She recalled that Spanish is today the second most spoken language in the world after Chinese.
In addition, the director of the Instituto Cervantes said that many companies collaborating with the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Dakar are looking for people mastering Spanish. “Once the language is learned, learners can obtain the diploma of Spanish foreign language (Dele), which certifies their skills,” she added.
The two institutions have also committed to establishing permanent communication, with quarterly meetings provided between their representatives. The agreement also includes the reciprocal provision of their premises, with the possibility, for the Chamber of Commerce, to use those of the Instituto Cervantes in exchange for free places in language courses.
Finally, the two parties agreed to organize joint events, such as professional fairs and conferences on the importance of the Spanish language in the business world. They reaffirmed their common commitment to the promotion of culture, education and the strategic role of Spanish in international relations.
