Liu Yunshan Attends the Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony for the Model Confucius Building of UCD CII

On 15th June 2014, Mr Liu Yunshan, a member of the Central Politburo Standing Committee of the CPC, attended the Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony for the Model Confucius Building for the UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland (CII). Madam Xu Lin, Director-General of Hanban and Chief Executive of the Confucius Institute Headquarters, and Mr. Ruairi Quinn, Minister for Education and Skills also attended the event. The ceremony was hosted by Professor Wang Liming, the director of UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland. 

Mr Liu Yunshan, Mr Ruairi Quinn, and Madam Xulin turned the sod at the Foudation Stone Laying Ceremony of the Confucius Building

The UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland is a joint venture between the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban), Renmin University of China and UCD. It was established in September 2006 and was officially opened by Mr Zeng Peiyan, then Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China. In September 2010, during HE Mr. Li Changchun’s visit to Ireland, the two Governments signed the Memorandum of Understanding regarding the capital funding for the UCD Confucius Institute. In February 2012, the project was supported at the meeting between HE Mr. Xi Jinping, then the Vice President of PR China and An Taoiseach, the Prime Minister of Ireland, Mr. Enda Kenny. In December 2013, the governments of China and Ireland officially signed the Memorandum of Agreement in relation to the Model Confucius Building. It will be around 2,000 square metres in area, and will be positioned next to the lake on the Belfield campus. The new UCD Model Confucius Building is expected to be completed in 2016, and become the first Confucius Institute building ever built outside China. It will be the centre for Chinese language teaching and research, Chinese culture promotion, and professional training.   

Mr Liu Yunshan shook hands with the students of UCD Confucius Classrooms