On December 15, the 12th Global Confucius Institute Forum started, with RUC convening the 2017 meeting to discuss building of overseas Confucius Institutes for China Affairs Deans. RUC Vice President DU Peng delivered a speech and each of RUC’s China Affairs Deans of overseas Confucius Institutes were in attendance and reported on their work.
Confucius Institute representatives from Free University of Brussels, Tel Aviv University, University of Zimbabwe, University of Geneva, University of Bologna, University of Leipzig, University of Helsinki, as well as other distinguished Confucius Institute guest representatives attended the meeting and reported on their work.
Each Confucius Institute’s China Affairs Deans according to their position, country, and current situation, described and analyzed the past year’s work including developments and accomplishments such as expanding the scope of Confucius Institute, utilizing academic resources, and each countries’ internal and external structure’s cooperation, exchanges, etc. as well as noting work progress and improvements. At the same time, each China Affairs Dean analyzed their own difficulties and possible solutions that they’ve met in the operations and development process in running their Confucius Institute, share their experiences, and seek cooperation.
After listening to each of the China Affairs Deans report on their work, DU Peng, on behalf of RUC thanked them for sharing their experiences, and summarized the key points of the meeting, and made suggestions in how to improve their overseas Confucius Institute work. He affirmed the achievements of various Confucius Institutes in teaching Chinese and promoting culture. He said that the school will, as always, support the development of overseas Confucius Institutes and provide Confucius Institutes with various administrative, information and academic support.
Since 2006, Renmin University of China has established 13 overseas Confucius Institutes, 22 Confucius Classrooms and 92 teaching venues in 11 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas by successively cooperating with foreign institutions of higher learning. It has successively sent 35 China Affairs Deans overseas, 74 Chinese language teachers and 293 student volunteers to work overseas at Confucius Institutes. So far, the Confucius Institute built by Renmin University of China has won the title of "Advanced Confucius Institute in the World" ten times and won the title of "Advanced Individual in the World" eight times. Up to now, the school has received a total of 30 visiting delegations organized by Confucius Institutes, receiving a total of 657 people. In addition, a total of 605 foreign students from partner institutions of Confucius Institutes have participated in the international short-course programs. In 2012, the university was identified as one of the first batch of 14 pilot institutions under the "Confucius New Sinology Program." Since 2013, the Confucius China Studies Program has officially accepted PhD students for joint training or doctoral studies. As of December 31, 2017, a total of 422 Chinese and foreign part-time teachers from the Confucius Institute co-founded by the school have a total of 202,225 face-to-face trainees, a cumulative total of 4,994 cultural activities, 666,107 audiences, and 29 group tours.
