The 12th Confucius Institute Conference was held in Xi’an from 12-13th December 2017.
Minister of the Ministry of Education, Chen Baosheng, presided over the opening ceremony and Vice Premier of the State Council and Chairwoman of Confucius Institute Headquarters Council Committee, Liu Yandong, attended the conference and delivered the keynote speech. The theme of the conference was “Deepen Cooperation, Develop through Innovation, and Work Together to Build a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind.” More than 2,500 people from 140 countries and regions were present at the conference, including presidents of universities from around the world, representatives from Confucius Institutes, ambassadors, university representatives who sponsored the conference, and representatives of Chinese enterprises.
The vice president of the Open University of China (OUC), Yang Xiaotang, and the executive director and deputy director of OUC Chinese Language Centre, Yang Yongbo and Wang Shuo, attended the conference on behalf of the Chinese Partner Institute of the Confucius Institute at Michigan State University.
Vice Minister Liu Yandong awarding a prize for Advanced Confucius Institute
Minister of MOE presiding over the opening ceremony of the conference
Liu Yandong said that the Confucius Institute serves as a bridge to promote language and culture exchange. The Confucius Institute belongs to both China and the world and it has contributed to promoting friendships between Chinese people and the people of other counties, and boosting cultural exchanges based on joint efforts between China and foreign countries based on the principles of joint construction and sharing. She emphasised that the Confucius Institute should strive to facilitate win-win cooperation using the link of language exchange on the platform of mutual culture learning. Efforts should be made to optimise the layout, enhance teaching level, deepen the reform of teaching materials and teaching methods, strengthen the cultivation of local teaching resources, and provide services for diverse local needs in foreign countries. Systems and mechanisms should be further improved in order to fully exert the strengths of both sides and build a cultural exchange brand that is inclusive and harmonious, and make new contributions to the construction of a community for the shared future for mankind. Currently, 525 Confucius Institutes and 1113 Confucius Classrooms have been established in 146 countries and regions across globe, with nearly 9.16 million learners.
A general conference forum was set up for the first time. Four foreign university presidents from Europe, America, Africa, and Asia and Mr. Liu Zhenyun, an excellent writer from China, were invited to the forum to carry out in-depth discussions on the topic of “Confucius Institute Development and the Construction of a Shared Future for Mankind” with the delegates. During the conference, a dean’s forum and president’s forum were held, in which special exchanges and heated discussions were held on issues such as the innovation of Confucius Institute teaching and resource, innovative cultural projects, the joint construction of Confucius Institutes by Sino-foreign enterprises and social organisations, Sino-foreign universities participating in “Belt and Road” construction through the Confucius Institute, and future innovation and development strategies for Confucius Institutes. Vice minister of the MOE and executive council of Confucius Institute headquarters council, Tian Xuejun, gave a concluding speech at the closing ceremony.
On 11th December, Yang Xiaotang attended a national Confucius Institute working symposium presided over by MOE minister Chen Baoshen, at which Vice Minister Liu Yandong delivered an important speech giving essential instruction on deepening studying and implementing the spirit of 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important written comments on Confucius Institute work. The delegates also held in-depth discussions and studies on issues of deepening reform, initiating a new journey of development for Confucius Institute in the new era.
The OUC Chinese Language Centre has long been committed to the research and practice of “Internet Plus” based on the Confucius Institute as the Chinese Learning Resources Development Centre of Confucius Institute at Michigan State University. Since its founding in 2006, it has independently developed Chinese distance teaching resources, increased the range of Chinese courses to enlarge enrolment and teaching scale, and made great achievements in scientific research. In 2017, the OUC has renewed its cooperation agreement with Michigan State University and will strive to create new prospects for international development for the OUC in the new era by further leveraging the Confucius Institute platform.
(Part of photos reprinted from Confucius Institute Headquarters / Hanban)
By Zhang Xiangwen, OUC