On March 18th, the Signing and Plaque Awarding Ceremony for the Confucius Institute of the Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University of Honduras was held in Beijing. This is the first Confucius Institute established in Honduras following the official establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Honduras on March 26, 2023. Attendees included Yang Wei, President of China International Education Foundation (CIEF); Mr. Salvador Moncada, Ambassador of Honduras to China; Lexy Concepción Medina Mejía, Rector of the Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University of Honduras; Zhang Huanzhou, President of Zhejiang International Studies University; as well as representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Honduras.
Yang Wei noted that the establishment of the first Confucius Institute in Honduras is a tribute to the Second Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and Honduras, marking a new stage in bilateral education cooperation and language teaching. He wished that the Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University of Honduras and Zhejiang International Studies University will collaborate sincerely and effectively to launch the Confucius Institute as soon as possible. CIEF will join hands with partners from all sectors in both countries to support the sustainable and high-quality development of the Confucius Institute.
Salvador Moncada expressed his great honor in witnessing the signing of the agreement for the establishment of the first Confucius Institute in Honduras. He emphasized that the Confucius Institute holds great significance for the educational openness and international exchange of Honduras. It serves not only as a vivid example of China-Honduras cooperation and exchange in education, but also as a historical milestone of people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries. The Embassy of Honduras to China will fully support the building and development of the Confucius Institute.
Lexy Concepción Medina Mejía introduced that the Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University of Honduras is dedicated to training educators at all levels across the country. She expressed great pleasure in establishing a partnership with CIEF and Zhejiang International Studies University to jointly build the Confucius Institute. The Confucius Institute will not only serve as a platform for local teachers, students, and the public to learn the Chinese language and better understand Chinese culture, but also act as a bridge for fostering communication and exploring cooperation between China and Honduras in various fields.
Zhang Huanzhou mentioned that Zhejiang International Studies University has previously co-established Confucius Institutes with the National University of Equatorial Guinea and the Ministry of Education, Sports and Creative Industries of Antigua and Barbuda, continuously giving impetus to the development of international Chinese language education. The University will leverage its academic strengths to build a high-quality faculty team and develop a robust repository of Chinese language teaching resources, working hand in hand with the Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University of Honduras to ensure the successful operation of the Confucius Institute.
CIEF, Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University of Honduras, and Zhejiang International Studies University signed the cooperation agreement of the Confucius Institute on-site. Yang Wei, on behalf of the Foundation, presented the Certificate of Authorization and Plaque of the Confucius Institute Brand to the Chinese-Honduran partner institutions.
