SDUFE and ESCE Presidents Visit Chinese International Education Foundation
On March 15, President Hong Junjie of Shandong University of Finance and Economics (SDUFE) and President Christophe Boisso of ESCE International Business School visited the Chinese International Education Foundation. They were warmly welcomed by Secretary-General Zhao Lingshan, who congratulated both universities on their joint establishment of the Confucius Institute at ESCE.
Zhao Lingshan praised the efforts of both institutions in building the Confucius Institute and highlighted the significance of this collaboration in the context of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France. He emphasized that the establishment of the Confucius Institute is a milestone in educational exchange and cooperation between the two nations and institutions. The foundation is eager to work alongside both schools to ensure the Confucius Institute’s success, contributing to further educational and cultural ties between China and France.
President Hong expressed his gratitude for the foundation’s long-term support of SDUFE’s internationalization efforts and recognized President Boisso’s commitment to fostering collaboration between the two universities. He highlighted SDUFE’s academic strengths, especially in economics and management, alongside other disciplines, and its strong reputation both domestically and internationally. Hong affirmed that SDUFE would leverage its resources and expertise to successfully operate the Confucius Institute in collaboration with ESCE, using this as a springboard for deeper and broader cooperation between the institutions.
President Christophe Boisso provided an overview of ESCE’s history and development, thanking the foundation for authorizing the joint establishment of the Confucius Institute. He emphasized that SDUFE is ESCE’s most significant partner and noted that the Confucius Institute will not only offer Chinese language education locally but also create opportunities for the entire school community to learn about Chinese culture. He expressed his commitment to launching the Confucius Institute swiftly, starting with various language programs and completing the Institute’s website construction.
Following the meeting, both university presidents held productive discussions, covering topics such as the development of the Confucius Institute, faculty exchanges, joint student programs, collaborative research, co-hosting academic conferences, and study-abroad training programs. A detailed work plan was established to guide the next steps. Representatives from the International Exchange and Cooperation Office and the Finance Office also participated in these discussions.