2017 Opening Ceremony of Pre-Job Training for Chinese Directors of European Confucius Institutes Held in Northeastern University

On July 22nd, the opening ceremony of 2017 pre-job training for Chinese Directors of European Confucius Institutes was held in Northeastern University. Ma Jianfei, Deputy Chief Executive of the Confucius Institute Headquarters and Deputy Director-General of Hanban, and Zhao Ji, President of Northeastern University, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. 53 Chinese directors-elect of the Confucius Institutes from 39 universities in China attended the ceremony that kicked off amid solemn national anthem.

A group photo of Chinese directors

Zhao Ji pointed out that human civilization needs to pave a way for the common progress of countries, nations, and even human beings by interaction, interfusion and exchanges, and a country's cultural soft power plays an increasingly important role in its international influence. We should firmly build self-confidence in our development path, theory, system and culture and actively explore an effective way to promote Chinese culture to the world. Zhao Ji said that Northeastern University has fostered the spirit of daring to be the first and shouldering the responsibility for the country during its 94-year development. In the next period, the university will continue to actively explore the promotion of internationalized school running mode under the guidance of the 13th Five-Year Plan. He hoped that Northeastern University can take this training as an opportunity to strengthen the study and exchanges with other universities in China, learn more experience, and further promote the overall development and cross-cultural exchanges of the university.

Ma Jianfei introduced the development of the Confucius Institutes and stated that Confucius Institutes emerge in the context of China's rapid economic development and the global "Chinese craze" and "China craze". In order to make Confucius Institutes into global household brands of language and culture, we should promote the healthy and sustainable development of the Confucius Institutes by improving quality and efficiency, pushing forward transformation and upgrade and deepening reform. He said that the Chinese directors of the Confucius Institutes have a glorious mission and heavy responsibility, so they must firmly believe in the ideals and beliefs, adhere to the "four self-confidence", tell Chinese stories in a good way and spread the Chinese voice to win the recognition of people around the world with their exemplary behaviors. The task of this training is to make people really enhance their sense of crisis, cooperation and ability, deeply understand the duties of the Chinese directors, be loyal to the motherland, have courage to blaze new trails, be good at cooperation and be willing to sacrifice all in a bid to lay a solid foundation for the upcoming work.