CLEC delegation visits UCD and Belvedere College

On February 26, 2025, a delegation led by Liu Jianqing, Deputy Director-General of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), visited UCD and Belvedere College in Dublin, Ireland. This visit not only further promoted educational and cultural collaboration between China and Ireland but also demonstrated both sides' commitment to deepening language teaching and cultural exchanges.

The CLEC delegation visited the UCD Confucius Institute and the Irish Institute for Chinese Studies at University College Dublin and held discussions with Professor Dolores O’Riordan, UCD’s Vice President for Global Engagement. The meeting further strengthened the two countries’ intentions for deeper collaboration in Chinese education and cultural exchange.

Afterward, the delegation, accompanied by Ms. Liu Yan, Counselor for Science and Technology at the Chinese Embassy; Dr Zhu Xikun, Head of Education Section at the Chinese Embassy in Ireland; Professor Liming Wang, Director of the Irish Institute for Chinese Studies; Professor Jiangnan Xie, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute; Ms. Wang Yanling, Director of the Confucius Institute; and Institute teaching staff, visited Belvedere College. The delegation received a warm welcome from the students and staff of Belvedere College.

During the visit, the delegation toured the school’s facilities and engaged in in-depth discussions with students and teachers. In a roundtable discussion, Deputy Director-General Liu Jianqing stated, “Language is the carrier of culture. We hope that by strengthening language education, we can further enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the people of China and Ireland, helping young generations better prepare for the challenges and opportunities of globalization.’

This visit not only reinforced educational collaboration between the two countries but also laid the foundation for future cultural exchange initiatives. Belvedere College Vice Principal Mr. Tom Boyle expressed the school’s commitment to promoting Chinese language education and looked forward to expanding cooperation with China in various fields.