On March 22^nd, the Confucius Institute of University College Dublin (UCD), which was jointly established by the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban), Renmin University, and UCD in 2006, held its annual council meeting in Beijing for the ninth time. RUC’s Vice President for International Affairs, YI Zhihong, attended the council meeting. This year's meeting was chaired by UCD’s President, Professor Andrew J Deeks, while the institute’s local director, WANG Liming, reported on the work of UCD’s Confucius Institute in 2015, presented targets and gave projections for the coming year. Vice President YI expressed her recognition of and confidence in the institute's work, noting that UCD’s Confucius Institute has set an example of excellence and made important contributions in the areas of promoting Chinese language and furthering the goals of cultural exchange between China and Ireland. Professor Deeks expressed his appreciation for the outstanding teachers Renmin University has sent to UCD. The institute’s current construction project and plans for its tenth anniversary celebrations were also discussed. RUC’s International Office Director Zhang Xiaojing and Professor of Philosophy at UCD Dermot Moran also attended the council meeting. Others in attendance included Chinese Director of UCD’s Confucius Institute, CAI Yongqiang, and Associate Director of RUC’s International Office, Professor Lü Jie. UCD’s Confucius Institute was the first overseas Confucius Institute co-established by Renmin University. Its mission is to further the study of Chinese language and culture, advance new research on contemporary and ancient China, and promote Sino-Irish business relations. The institute has won the “Confucius Institute of the Year” award three times: in 2007, 2008, and in 2010. In 2014, it was selected “Model Confucius Institute.” Benefitting from UCD’s Confucius Institute as a dialogue platform, a number of schools and departments at Renmin and UCD, including RUC's law school and School of Agricultural Economics & Rural Development, have enjoyed in-depth academic exchanges.