Over the past 20 years, Confucius Institutes have expanded from scratch to an influential presence, having gained remarkable achievements and success. This honor belongs to all CIers, as both the dreamers and achievers, pioneers and sustainers. Responding to the ever-growing demand for Chinese language learning, they have spread seeds of friendship and understanding worldwide. Their hard work has paid off over the years and their efforts have fueled the growth of the CI. The “CIers” series features pioneering CI directors who laid the foundation from the start, senior directors who served across continents on multiple occasions, advanced directors who began as volunteers and grew into leadership roles, students who pursued life dreams through learning Chinese, and local teachers who transformed from CI students to torch-bearers of international Chinese education. Every CIer’s experience is a unique legend. The series is dedicated to every CIer advancing with love along the way. Together, let us embark on this extraordinary storytelling journey. We extend heartfelt gratitude to the CI partners and Confucius Institutes at home and abroad involved in creating this series. The story of CIers is unfolding.

The extraordinary 20-year journey of the Confucius Institute would not have been possible without the selfless dedication of the people of CI. The Chinese directors are not only the navigators and helmsmen of the Institutes but also serve as the “parents” of this big family. Together with countless Chinese teachers and volunteers who ventured overseas with their ideals, they have planted the seeds of mutual understanding in every corner of the world, allowing the blossoms of friendships to flourish through Chinese language education. In 2024, another group of directors completed pre-service training and embarked on their respective roles. Among them, some have grown alongside the Institutes, transitioning from volunteers to teachers and eventually to directors; some have returned to serve as directors for a second or even third time, dedicating the most valuable phase of their careers to the CI; others, once trainees, are now teaching experts, passing the torch and bearing witness to the legacy of the CI community across generations. The growth of successive cohorts of directors has been inseparable from the unwavering support of Chinese universities committed to this cause. As a member of this community, Dalian University of Foreign Languages (DUFL) has unremittingly played an essential role for over a decade. Since 2011, it has hosted 10 sessions of pre-service training for Chinese directors, preparing a total of 876 directors for their posts and making outstanding contributions. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Confucius Institute, DUFL also celebrates its 60th anniversary. The training experts and trainee directors took the opportunity to extend their birthday wishes to the Confucius Institute and their “alma mater” in a dual celebration of these milestones.

孔子学院自成立至今已走过20个年头，作为国际中文教育的龙头品牌，如今取得的突出成绩，汇聚着先行者的荣光，承载着“孔院人”的梦想。全体孔院人殚精竭虑，忘我奉献。诸多中外方院长积极投身孔子学院事业，长期深耕孔院发展一线，作为掌舵者，牢牢把稳奋进之舵，坚持锚定发展航向，倾心倾力为孔院事业做贡献，对推动全球孔子学院品牌建设起到了不可磨灭的作用。功崇惟志，业广惟勤，为褒扬优秀，基金会自2021年起设立孔子学院院长纪念奖章。2024年，孔子学院品牌成立20周年，又有33位院长迎来他们任职十年的光荣时刻。截至目前，已有159位中外方院长获此殊荣。