On May 21st, the Conference of Directors of Confucius Institutes in Francophone Countries of Europe was held at the Institut Confucius de Bretagne in France. Zhang Junli, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese International Education Foundation (CIEF), was invited to attend and delivered a speech. Flora Lichaa, Board Chair of the Institut Confucius de Bretagne and Associate Professor of the Department of Chinese Studies at Rennes 2 University, Ma Xiaole, Dean of the College of International Education at Shandong University, and 26 Chinese and local Directors from 15 CIs in France and Belgium participated in the conference.

In her speech, Flora Lichaa stated that for many years, the Institut Confucius de Bretagne has cooperated with Rennes 2 University in conducting academic researches and in organizing a variety of cultural events that are highly appreciated by the citizens of Rennes.

Zhang Junli pointed out that during President Xi Jinping’s state visit to France in May this year, China and France reached several consensuses, including stepping up mutual efforts to accelerate cultural and people-to-people exchanges. As a platform for language teaching and cultural exchange between China and overseas, the Confucius Institutes have always been at the forefront of promoting bilateral cultural exchanges. Upon the 20th anniversary of the CI, the CIEF will continue to reflect on the past, look forward to the future, and work hand in hand with friends from all walks of life in both China and France to promote the sustainable and high-quality development of the CIs.

The directors at the conference shared the achievements of their respective CIs in terms of the education of Chinese language, holding of cultural events, and training of local teachers, showcasing unique features of each and every CI. They engaged in in-depth discussions on leveraging their unique advantages, achieving regional sharing of resources, and creating a sustainable ecosystem for the CI. Some CIs also expressed their wish to establish an alliance of CIs in Francophone countries.

Before the conference, the representatives also attended the unveiling ceremony of the Chinese Garden, a collaborative project between Rennes government and Jinan municipal government, and participated in the third Festival of Tea held by the Institut Confucius de Bretagne.