The World Chinese Language Conference was held in Beijing from Nov 15 to 17. Zheng Chengjun, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Beijing International Studies University (BISU) Committee and vice-president of the university, along with the Chinese and foreign directors of the Confucius Institutes and experts in international Chinese education, were invited to attend the opening ceremony and related activities.

At the "Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of Confucius Institutes" thematic seminar, organized by the Chinese International Education Foundation, Wu Junhui, director of the Confucius Institute at Universidad de Panamá (Panama), was honored with the "Light of the Confucius Institute" award during the special appreciation event for the 20th anniversary of the Confucius Institute. Vice-Minister of Education Wu Yan presented him with the medal.

Wu Junhui (R) is presented with the "Light of the Confucius Institute" medal.

Among 489 Confucius Institutes and 773 Confucius Classrooms in 160 countries, only 41 people have received this honor. They include dignitaries, Sinologists, school principals and Confucius Institute directors from various countries who have made outstanding contributions to the construction and development of Confucius Institutes over the past 20 years.

A major event at the gathering was the "Global Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) Partner Conference", hosted by Chinese Testing International Co Ltd. Fifty-one outstanding HSK test centers were selected from 1,404 around the world, based on criteria such as the number of candidates, examination management level, marketing capabilities and event organization capabilities. The Confucius Institute at Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua (Mexico) was awarded the title of "Outstanding HSK Test Center of 2024" for its excellent work in HSK examinations, and its Chinese director Luo Congke received the award at the event. It was the third time in nearly five years that the Confucius Institute at Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua (Mexico) had received the award.

The virtual simulation software "Understanding China in the New Era (International Student Version)", developed by BISU's Professor Song Fei and his team, was selected as the "Gold Medal Teaching Tool", based on a judging panel's evaluation and global online voting data. This project innovatively combines AI, language teaching and contemporary Chinese development.

Zheng engaged in friendly exchanges with the Chinese and foreign directors of the Confucius Institutes co-established by BISU. They discussed ways to promote the future development of Confucius Institutes and deepen cultural exchanges.

In addition, the Chinese and foreign directors of the Confucius Institutes co-established by BISU were invited to shoot video series about the institutes. These videos were broadcast at the Confucius Institute's official website and at the World Chinese Language Conference venue.

BISU master's degree students majoring in teaching Chinese as a foreign language also participated in the event. They were impressed by the conference and were inspired to work harder, serve as cultural ambassadors and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. 

BISU master's students participate in the conference. 

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the "Confucius Institute" brand. The theme of this year's World Chinese Language Conference was "Interconnection, Integration, Inheritance, Innovation". 

The conference was organized by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China and jointly hosted by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, the Chinese International Education Foundation and the International Society for Chinese Language Teaching. Over 2,000 government officials, school principals, experts, scholars, students, and diplomats from more than 160 countries and regions attended the event.