The Opening Ceremony of the Confucius Institute Jointly Established by Nanjing Normal University and the Universidad de Congreso Was Held

On the afternoon of October 9, 2024, local time, the Confucius Institute at Universidad de Congreso, the first Confucius Institute established by Nanjing Normal University in Latin America, held an opening ceremony to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. It was also a tribute to the 10th anniversary of the China-Argentina Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the 20th anniversary of the Confucius Institute. More than 100 guests attended the ceremony, including Wei Wang, the ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Argentina, Hebe Casado, the Vice Governor of Mendoza Province; Tadeo G. Salazar, the Director of Culture and Education of Mendoza Province, Ulpiano Suárez, the Mayor of Mendoza, José Luis Manzano, the President of the Congress University Foundation, Ruben Bresso, the President of Congress University, Mr. Diego Guelin, the former Ambassador of Argentina to China, and Linwang Yuan, the Vice President of NNU.

Wei Wang pointed out that this year marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Establishing the Confucius Institute at Universidad de Congreso provides a new channel and platform for deepening the friendship and cooperation between China and Argentina. This vividly demonstrates practicing the Global Civilization Initiative and promoting civilization exchanges and mutual understanding.

Hebe Casado warmly congratulated the establishment of the Confucius Institute as a bridge for Sino-Argentina cultural exchanges. She expressed her support and high expectations for the Confucius Institute to conduct cultural exchanges in Mendoza, expand inter-provincial exchanges, and enhance bilateral cooperation.

Rubén Bresso mentioned that the university has been hosting Chinese Culture Week for eight years. The establishment of the Confucius Institute was the highlight of this year’s Chinese Culture Week and marks a new milestone in academic cooperation between the two universities. In the future, the Universidad de Congreso plans to use the Confucius Institute as a platform to strengthen its collaboration with NNU.

Linwang Yuan stated that NNU was one of the most important centers for international Chinese education and had a long and deep history. He also mentioned that Universidad de Congreso is a reliable partner, as it has always been dedicated to teaching Chinese and Chinese cultural communication. He expressed his strong desire for the Confucius Institute to establish itself in the local area, serve the local community, and facilitate cooperation between China and Argentina in academic research, student exchange, and more.

José Luis Manzano stated that Confucius Institutes are an important platform for educational and cultural exchanges. He emphasized that the Argentine side attached great importance to the Confucius Institute’s work. Manzano expressed the belief that the Argentine side needs to learn from China’s development experience. He also expressed his gratitude to NNU for providing Mendoza with the opportunity to learn from China’s experience.

Linwang Yuan and Rubén Bresso jointly inaugurated the Confucius Institute. During the inauguration, the Mendoza Provincial Department of Education and the Confucius Institute signed an agreement to collaborate on promoting Chinese teaching, teacher training, and cultural exchanges. Their focus is to enhance the quality of international Chinese education in the future.

Volunteer teacher Yu Zhou and assistants Mariana and Milagros from the Confucius Institute presented the song Friends, symbolizing the beautiful friendship between China and Argentina. Confucius Institute volunteer teacher Chongkai Bai and local Chinese culture enthusiast Rodrigo Lemos presented a Tai Chi performance, displaying the charm of traditional Chinese martial arts.

The famous Argentine musician Juan Falú and singer Teuco Castilla performed the Chinese folk song Jasmine Flower and the Spanish song La Cordillera.

The inauguration was reported by CCTV News, Xinhua New Media, and many other local media.