The development prospects of Confucius Institutes and how to enhance their authorities and roles

Dear colleagues, peers and friends,

17 years ago, during my tenure as the Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to China, I represented Belarus and signed an agreement with the National Han Affairs Office on cooperation in the field of Chinese language education in Belarus and the establishment of the Republic's Confucius Institute for Sinology. Now, Belarus has established 6 Confucius Institutes and 2 independent Confucius Classrooms, and they have set up more than 40 branches in primary and secondary schools and universities in Belarus, including Confucius Classrooms and teaching points.

        Our Confucius Institute has 50 faculty members, 25 of whom are Chinese citizens. They are all excellent professionals. Chinese and Belarusian teachers work together to train Chinese teachers for primary and secondary schools in Belarus, and our local teachers will receive degrees from Belarus after graduation. At present, most of the Chinese teachers in primary and secondary schools in Belarus are graduates of our Confucius Institute. In 2022, our Confucius Institute launched a master's degree program in Chinese education to train Chinese language teachers for universities in Belarus. With the end of the COVID-19 epidemic, we have resumed the internship program for Belarusian native Chinese teachers in China. This year, 35 local Belarusian teachers have completed internships in China at Dalian University of Technology.

Our Confucius Institute has a unique library called the "China Pavilion", which is actively used by Chinese teachers, undergraduate and graduate students from Belarusian universities. There is also a Chinese bookstore operated by Shangsi International Publishing House in the Confucius Institute Building, where you can purchase books and materials related to education, academia, and literature from China.

Chinese is becoming more and more popular in Belarus. Only in our Confucius Institute and our 10 Confucius classrooms and teaching points, there are over 3000 people learning Chinese every year. The age of the students ranges from 7 to 60 years old. We also dispatch Chinese volunteer teachers to the classrooms and teaching points to assist with teaching work. With the financial support of China Merchants Group, we have built an excellent modern remote teaching and recording room, which enables us to provide teaching method support for teachers and provide remote learning opportunities for those who are unable to attend classes at the college. Our teachers from Confucius Institute participated in the writing of Chinese textbooks and tutoring materials for primary and secondary schools in Belarus. It holds an annual seminar for young sinologists, publishes a compilation of laws, regulations, and official documents on China Belarus cooperation, and plans to assist enterprises and units in China Belarus cooperation. We also open a free consultation hotline throughout the year to provide Belarus and Chinese partners with the latest information.

        Our teachers from Confucius Institute participated in the writing of Chinese textbooks and tutoring materials for primary and secondary schools in Belarus. It holds an annual seminar for young sinologists, publishes a compilation of laws, regulations, and official documents on China Belarus cooperation, and plans to assist enterprises and units in China Belarus cooperation. It also opens a free consultation hotline throughout the year to provide Belarus and Chinese partners with the latest information.

Belarus appeared on the world political map as a sovereign country in December 1991 and established diplomatic relations with China in January 1992. Over the years, my career has been closely linked to China and the cooperation between China and Belarus. Therefore, I can confidently say that the Confucius Institutes in Belarus have made due contributions to establishing a highly trusting atmosphere between two countries and their peoples, and jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Dear peers!

We are all witnesses to the fact that the development of Earth civilization has entered a new phase of its qualitative transformation - a new phase of systemic civilization crisis and an unpredictable future. For the first time in history, all mankind is faced with the Hamlet-like question: "To be or not to be." At the beginning of this century, China also entered a new era through reform and opening up, transforming to a more vast and more populous world power.

The Chinese people are moving towards the next great goal - to build a prosperous and strong socialist country. We sincerely wish China success. Because the stronger China is, the more efforts and resources it can devote to pulling the world back from the brink, and that's what all of us need to do. So the strategic interests of this strong country are aligned with the strategic interests of all humanity. Perhaps it is the first time in world history that the strategic interests of a strong country align with those of humanity.

        It is extremely important to maintain and ensure the further development of Confucius Institutes in this regard. The name of Confucius first reminds people of peace, universal love, and nobility. It should not only remain as teaching and cultural centers, but also as research centers, conducting in-depth and systematic research on modern China's domestic and foreign policies, China's experience in economic and social development, and China's active participation in various aspects of international cooperation.

Confucius Institutes should assume the primary function of training local Chinese teachers for educational institutions at all levels. Internships in China are very important for improving their teaching qualities, and I hope the Foundation can provide support in this regard. We should establish more characteristic Confucius colleges, regional cooperation areas, business and Chinese medicine with characteristics.

Another important point is that the operational effectiveness and influence of Confucius Institutes largely depend on the professional level and authority of the dean of Confucius Institutes which deserves more attention.

Based on the work experience of various Confucius Institutes in Belarus, I declare that Confucius Institutes have never been, nor are they, a tool of Chinese influence, nor have they imposed any Chinese attitudes and values on anyone. They are part of their respective universities and operate within the legislative framework of their respective countries. All Confucius Institutes in Belarus were established at the request of Belarus. Firstly, as Belarusians, we need Confucius Institutes to gain a better and more comprehensive understanding of China.

        Our Confucius Institute has two outstanding parents - the National University of Belarus and Dalian University of Technology. Thank a lot to them!

Finally, on behalf of all Confucius Institutes classrooms in Belarus, I would like to thank the Chinese Ministry of Education, the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, and the Chinese International Education Foundation for their support and attention, which we can feel every day in our daily work.
      Thank you for your attention! I wish our conference a great success!