On January 29, 2024, a joint meeting of Russian Confucius Institutes, hosted by the Confucius Institute at the National University of Irkutsk of Russia was held in Irkutsk. Zhao Lingshan, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of Chinese International Education Foundation attended the meeting and Yu Miaojie, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee and President of Liaoning University delivered a speech online.   

On behalf of the foundation, Vice Chairman Zhao Lingshan expressed warm congratulations on the convening of the meeting and extended heartfelt thanks to the Confucius Institute in Irkutsk for organizing the conference. He noted that 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Confucius Institutes and it is of special significance to hold a joint meeting of Confucius Institutes on this occasion for the healthy and sustainable development of Confucius Institutes in Russia. The Confucius Institutes in Russia are built with great strengths, potential and huge vitality, which cannot be achieved without sincere cooperation between China and Russia. The 19 Confucius Institutes and 4 Confucius Classrooms operating in Russia are powerful witnesses to the development of international Chinese education in Russia, offering outstanding contributions to enhancing Russian people's understanding of Chinese language and culture and developing China-Russia friendly relations.

Zhao Lingshan continued that ss the topics discussed in the meeting were also common challenges faced by other Confucius Institutes, he hoped that the delegates would brainstorm and speak freely to make suggestions for the high-quality development of Russian Confucius Institutes and set an good example for the coordinated development of Confucius Institutes around the world. He added that in the future, the foundation will continue to join hands with all parties to help the Confucius Institutes achieve stability and prosperity and advance their cooperation to a higher level.

On behalf of Liaoning University, President Yu Miaojie expressed his gratitude to the Chinese International Education Foundation for its deep trust and strong support for the cooperation between Liaoning University and the National University of Irkutsk in building a Confucius Institute. He added that being the first Confucius Institute developed by Liaoning University, the Confucius Institute at the National University of Irkutsk of Russia has achieved fruitful results in Chinese teaching, cultural promotion, teacher training, academic research after its 16 years of work. He stressed that mutual exchanges and mutual learning are important channels for continuous progress and development. He hoped that all delegates could speak freely and pool the strength of all Russian Confucius Institutes for the sustainable development of the institutes. By doing so, he added, we can share experience and wisdom for promoting China-Russia educational cooperation and cultural exchanges, enhancing mutual understanding and making contributions to coordinated and high-quality development. With the efforts of China and Russia, the Confucius Institutes in Russia will enjoy a bright future.

Professor Konstantin, Vice President of the National University of Irkutsk noted that the Confucius Institutes had achieved tangible results with efforts from both China and Russia over the years. 2024 year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Confucius Institutes. He wished the joint meeting a complete success in making new contributions to cultural exchanges between the two countries.   

Under the topic of ‘Practice, Development Prospects and Performance Standards’, the joint meeting focused on three major issues, namely the sustainable development of Confucius Institutes/Classrooms, the experience, problems and prospects in the field of science and education as well as the regional interactive and cooperative development of China-Russia cooperation. Guided by substantive issues, the representatives of the two countries discussed the problems encountered in real cases and sought solutions. Nearly 50 representatives from 19 Confucius Institutes and four Confucius Classrooms in Russia participated in the conference online and offline.