The Council of Confucius Institute at Xavier University Held in Hebei University
From April 10th to 11th in 2019, Anne McCall, the executive Vice President of Xavier University in Louisiana, and her other two members were invited to visit Hebei University. Ren Deliang, the Vice President of Hebei University, met the delegation of Xavier University and held the Council of the Confucius Institute at Xavier University in Room 805 of the main building.
The council is presided by the leading official of the International Cooperation Office/Confucius Institute Office of Hebei University. The Vice President Ren Deliang, the Executive Vice President of Xavier University Anne McCall, American Dean of /International Director of Xavier University Jiang Yu, Chinese Dean of Confucius Institute Yang Tao and relevant personnel from the Confucius Institute Office attended the meeting.
The Vice President Ren Deliang first expressed his warm welcome to the delegation's visit. He pointed out that in recent years, the two Universities have realized frequent exchanges with the Confucius Institute as a medium. Educational exchange and cooperation are important part of Sino-US relations, which helps to promote the basis of Sino-US friendship. In the long run, it is crucial to promoting the development of US-China relations through maintaining and deepening exchange and cooperation in higher education and cultural institution. Ren Deliang also said that the amity of countries rooted in the communication of people. Our two sides should work together to create convenient conditions for the promotion of academic and cultural exchanges between the two universities. The Vice President Anne McCall and her members’ visit have closely bridged the friendship between Hebei University and Xavier University. I hope that we will cooperate and negotiate with each other closely and push the all-round and intensive cooperation between the two universities to a higher level.
The Vice-President Anne McCall first expressed her gratitude to the Chinese side for their warm reception and she also agreed with the Vice President Ren’ views. She said that the glorious tradition of Xavier University is emphasizing on ethnic minorities and respecting for multiculturalism. This policy supports many young people of ethnic minorities have changed their lives through efforts. There is an aphorism in English: the new relationship is silver and the old friend is gold. Now Xavier University attaches great importance to cooperation with Hebei University. The Confucius Institute is now blooming around the world and cultural exchange is in a long-term mechanism. Anne McCall shared a case in which Jews lived in Shanghai in the last century and continued to maintain friendship with local friends in Shanghai after returning to the United States, indicating that the exchanges between the people are vital.
Dean Jiang Yu reported the work of the Confucius Institute at Xavier University in 2018 and the work plan for 2019, including summer camp of students and delegation of educators to visit China and during the 13th Confucius Institute Conference, the meeting between the President of Xavier University Wei Ruite and the Secretary of the Party Committee of Hebei University Guo Jian and other issues. In 2018, the President of Xavier University Wei Ruite won the Confucius Institute Global Advanced Individual Award, which is the common honor of the two universities. Xavier Confucius Institute is currently preparing to host the Eighth Chinese Bridge Competition in the United States. In 2019, Xavier University is planning to set up a Chinese minor and recruit one local Chinese teacher with self-funding. The cooperation between the two universities will be carried out a series of activities around the agreement, including teacher exchange visits and Xavier University men's and women's basketball teams’ visit to Hebei University based on the Hanban Project. Jiang Yu also briefly introduced the situation of visiting the Deputy Director General of Hanban, Ma Jianfei.
On the council, the two sides unanimously stated that they will strengthen exchanges and cooperation and enhance communication of experience between international universities to achieve win-win cooperation.
During the time in Hebei University, the Xavier University delegation also visited the new campus library, the art gallery, the school of arts and HBU-UCLan School of Media, communication and Creative Industries.
