Credit: Confucius Institute

On Tuesday 20 June 2023, the Confucius Institute at the University of Luxembourg celebrated its fifth anniversary in the Maison des Arts et des Étudiants on Belval Campus.

The Confucius Institute is dedicated to promoting the development of the Chinese language and culture, especially at the educational, cultural, economic and scientific level. Since it opened in April 2018, in partnership with Fudan University, the institute has continued to grow and has embarked on an increasing number of different projects and activities. With the support of its board members (University of Luxembourg, Fudan University, CHINALUX and Luxembourg for Finance), the Confucius Institute has its sights set on development not just within the university but also throughout Luxembourg and even beyond its borders.

To mark the occasion, Prof. Marie-Hélène Jobin, Vice-Rector of the University of Luxembourg, Prof. Chen Zhimin, Vice-President of Fudan University, Chinese Ambassador to Luxembourg, Hua Ning, Nicolas Mackel, CEO of Luxembourg for Finance, Xie Zhujun, President of Chinalux, and Zhiyao Guo, Deputy Chairman of Bank of China, were present and opened the celebration.

The event featured an award ceremony for the winners of the First Luxembourg Chinese Essay Competition, organised in May 2023 in collaboration with Bank of China for Chinese language learners. This year, 49 Chinese language learners from Lycée Vauban, Lycée Athénée de Luxembourg, Lycée Ermesinde and the Confucius Institute took part in the competition. The winner of the "Special Prize" won a return flight ticket to China.

The evening closed with a show by artists from Peking University School of Arts: "Ming He Qing Shang", a mix of Guqin (a traditional music instrument), Kunqu (the oldest form of Chinese opera) and singing.

The Confucius Institute counts 200 learners per year and organises about 40 annual events and activities. It is the only centre approved to administer the international HSK (Chinese Proficiency Test) in Luxembourg. The Confucius Mutimedia Centre based in the Luxembourg Learning Centre in Esch-Belval is home to more than 5,000 books, magazines, journals, newspapers and films in English, French, German and Chinese.