A Delegation Led by Chinese Minister of Education, Huai Jinpeng visited University College Dublin

On 13 November 2023, a delegation led by Professor Huai Jinpeng, the Minister of Education of the People's Republic of China,  visited University College Dublin (UCD). During the visit, Professor Huai met with senior representatives from UCD and discussed China-Ireland cooperation in education and the operation of the UCD Confucius Institute. He also met with student representatives from UCD Chinese programmes and the staff and students from UCD Confucius Institute.

After a quick tour of the Confucius Institute building, a meeting was held between the delegation and representatives from UCD headed by Professor Barbara Dooley, Acting Deputy President and Registrar. During the visit, Minister Huai also presented the list of donated books to Professor Dooley on behalf of UCD, and witnessed the signing of an agreement between the Center for Language Education and Cooperation and UCD in relation to supporting the Development of UCD Undergraduate programmes with Chinese Studies.

After the meeting, Minister Huai met with staff and student representatives from the UCD Confucius Institute. In his address to staff and students, Minister Huai expressed that mastering a language is like having a golden key, enabling one to enter a new world, understand a different culture, and become friends with the people there. He encouraged the students to visit China, experience it firsthand, and understand the real China. Minister Huai also stressed that young Chinese and foreign students should respect, embrace, and fulfil each other with an open mind, and meet the common challenges and uncertainties facing by the entire human race in the future. The unity and friendship of young people across the world would create and secure a bright future for the world.

Mr Ian McKenna, the Principal Officer of the International Division from the Department of Further and Higher Education, H.E. He Xiangdong, the Chinese Ambassador to Ireland, Professor Ma Jianfei, Director-General of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, Professor Dolores O’Riordan, UCD Vice-President for Global Engagement, Professor Liming Wang, the Director of the UCD Confucius Institute, and Professor Xie Jiangnan, the Chinese Director of the UCD Confucius Institute, as well as more than 130 staff and students from the UCD Confucius Institute attended the event.