Celebrating two decades of The Confucius Institute at Manchester

Bringing together colleagues, partners and friends from across the UK, Europe and China, the 20^th anniversary celebrations of the Confucius Institute at The University of Manchester took place on 8 October at the Alliance Manchester Business School. 

Hosted by Faculty of Humanities Dean and Chair of the CI Board, Professor Fiona Devine, the event opened with welcome addresses from University of Manchester President Professor Duncan Ivison, Chinese Consul General Tang Rui and, via video message, Vice-President of Beijing Normal University, Professor Chen Xing.

The opening speeches were followed by a screening of the CI’s anniversary short film “Twenty years of making connections”, which showcased the Institute’s wide-ranging impact in Manchester and beyond.

The film screening was followed by a panel discussion titled “The World China Made: After the Urban Century”, featuring Academician Jianguo Wang (Southeastern University, China) and Professor Kerry Brown (King's College London) and chaired by CI Director Deljana Iossifova. Panellists discussed China’s urban transformation and its global impact. The day concluded with a preview of the exhibition “Building China: People’s Infrastructure” and a reception.

Over the past 20 years, the University of Manchester and Beijing Normal University have been working together on teacher development, academic exchange and cultural engagement, supporting the Institute’s growth. Looking to the future, the two universities will continue to deepen their partnership, using language and culture to promote educational cooperation and people-to-people exchange between China and the UK.

Watch the anniversary short film.