Chen, alecturer in the DepartmentofInternationalRelationsat JinanUniversityin Guangzhou, China, wanted toequip theyoungergenerationofChinesewith tools for dealing withconflict.
"This is such a major decision with far-reaching implications... and it is tantamount to redefining our relationship, " the DepartmentofInternationalRelations and Co-operation said in a statement.
Zeynep Kaya, a researcher at the departmentofInternationalRelationsof the London School of Economics, says it may have been an important factor in initiating the recent peace process.
Bersani, 61, comes across as "bluff and homespun, and that's part of his appeal -- or not, depending on your point of view, " said political analyst James Walston, department chair ofinternationalrelations at the American University of Rome.