On September 25th, the 2025 Global Confucius Institute Day was successfully held in Beijing. Hosted by the Chinese International Education Foundation (CIEF) and organized by Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU), this year’s event centered on the theme Empower New Development Through Digital Intelligence. A distinguished group of guests attended the event, including ambassadors and diplomatic representatives in China — H.E. Mr. Kaid Slimane Lakhsan, Ambassador of Algeria to China; Mr. Kazi Ziaul Hasan, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh; and Mr. Sambaniaina Nomenjana-Hary Jean Victor, Minister-Counsellor of the Embassy of Madagascar to China—along with representatives from Chinese government departments, directors of Confucius Institutes, and representatives from Chinese and local Hosts of the CI. Mr. Zhao Lingshan, Vice President and Secretary-General of the CIEF, presided over the event.

Mr. Yu Yunfeng, Director-General of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, MOE of China, addressed at the event. As he highlighted, sharing achievements in language education, cultural exchange, and mutual learning among civilizations provides valuable insights for achieving sustainable and high-quality development. The Center also continues to advance international Chinese education through digital intelligence, providing strong support for Chinese language teaching worldwide. Moving forward, the Center looks forward to collaborating with partners from all sector both in China and abroad to vigorously promote the integration of artificial intelligence into international Chinese education, thereby better meeting the growing global demand for Chinese language learning.

Mr. Yu Yunfeng, Director-General of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, giving an address.

Mr. Kazi Ziaul Hasan, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Bangladesh to China, remarked that this year marks both the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and China and the “Bangladesh–China Year of People-to-People Exchanges.” Confucius Institutes have become an important platform for mutual learning and understanding between the two peoples. He added that the integration of digital intelligence will further broaden the vision of CIs, expand their reach, and help promote friendly exchanges between the two countries.

Mr. Kazi Ziaul Hasan, Minister & Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Bangladesh to China, giving an address.

Mr. Keith James, former Deputy Head Teacher of Ballakermeen High School in the U.K. and director of the Confucius Classroom, spoke on behalf of the awardees of the Medal for Long Service as a Confucius Institute Director. He shared the practices and outcomes of digital and intelligent teaching at the Barakmin Middle School Confucius Classroom. By developing an “anytime, anywhere accessible” online curriculum system and continuously optimizing digital teaching strategies, the Classroom has seen significant improvement in learning outcomes.

Mr. Keith James, former Deputy Head Teacher of Ballakermeen High School in the U.K. and Director of the Confucius Classroom, offering remarks.

Mr. Omar Ahmed Mahmoud, a student of the CI at Suez Canal University in Egypt and currently an international student at BLCU, shared his learning journey. He described his experience at the CI as immensely precious, as it not only enabled him to learn the Chinese language, but also allowed him to experience the charm of Chinese culture and the sincerity of the Chinese people. He expressed that he is committed to conveying the charm of the Chinese language, connecting people through language, and promoting mutual understanding through culture when he comes back to his hometown.

Mr. Omar Ahmed Mahmoud, Student of the CI at Suez Canal University in Egypt, International Student of BLCU, delivering his speech.

Mr. Zhao Gang, Vice President of Beijing Foreign Studies University, reviewed their development through digital intelligence. He emphasized the important role of digital intelligence in teaching and learning, enriching cultural experiences, and improving management performance. He also elaborated on how digital intelligence can empower Confucius Institutes at the foundational, practical, and general levels. He noted that transformation and innovation featuring big data and AI-driven initiatives serve as an important anchor for the high-quality development of CIs, whose future will surely align with the digital intelligence.

Mr. Zhao Gang, Vice President of Beijing Foreign Studies University, offering remarks.

The ceremony also featured the Awarding Ceremony of the Fifth CI Moments Global Short Video Collection Event. A total of 148 videos received awards, with 15 participants honored as “CI Talents,” and 37 institutions were awarded for outstanding organization.

Awardee Representatives (Confucius Institute at Tribhuvan University, Nepal): Mr. Bal Ram Duwal, Director, Ms. Ni Yifang, Teacher

Zhang Wengang: Director of the CI at Alte University (Georgia), Awardee Representative

Jiang Xiaoxiao: Teacher of CI at the University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Awardee Representative

This year, 17 directors who have served in their positions for over ten years and earned the recognition of both Chinese and local hosts of CI were awarded the Medal for Long Service as a Confucius Institute Director. bringing the total number of awardees to 176. Mrs. Marine Jibladze, Georgian Director of the CI at Free University of Tbilisi, and Mr. Adamou Hamada Jean Alain, Director of the CI at the University of Comoros addressed the ceremony as Representatives of the awardees, expressing their deep affection for the CI and for China. They reaffirmed their commitment to fostering the development of CI and building bridges between cultures and languages.

Marine, Director of the CI at Free University of Tbilisi (Georgia)

Gor Sargsyan, Director of the CI at Brusov State University (Armenia)

Adamou Hamada Jean Alain, Director of the CI at the University of Comoros

Ildikó Antal, Director of the CI for Business Alliance at Copenhagen Business School (Denmark)

Keith James, Director of the Confucius Classroom at Ballakermeen High School (U.K.)

Zhang Xian, Director of the CI at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology

On behalf of the Foundation, Duan Peng, Vice President of the CIEF and President of BLCU, offered a global initiative: under the theme “Building a Smart Network for Chinese Language Education with Shared Quality Resources,” the years 2025–2027 will be designated as the CI Years of Digital Intelligence, aiming to make Chinese teaching more “intelligent,” cultural exchange more “vivid,” and collaborative ecosystems more “interconnected,” thus opening a new chapter in the digital-intelligent empowerment of international Chinese education.

Duan Peng, Vice President of CIEF and President of Beijing Language and Culture University, launching the initiative.

At the event, the Confucius Institute (inaugural) Premium Digital Resource List was released, featuring 15 high-quality digital resources. The CIEF’s call for digital-intelligence application and practice cases is ongoing, and CIs worldwide are warmly invited to share their valuable experience.

Mr. Zhao Lingshan, Vice President and Secretary-General of Chinese International Education Foundation hosting the event.