The Confucius Institute at Southampton: Past, Present and Future

The Confucius Institute organized an event on the 10th March entitled “The Confucius Institute at Southampton: Past, Present and Future”. The event attracted over 150 guests and featured an elegant Chinese tea ceremony performed by a delegation from the China National Tea Museum and Zhejiang University.

The Mayor of Southampton, Cathie McEwing, UoS Vice-President, Prof. Mark Spearing, Prof. Clare Mar-Molinero, former Confucius Institute Director, Mark Cranshaw and current Confucius Institute Director Dr. Ying Zheng gave their speeches describing the work of the Confucius Institute, its past successes, its present activities and its future ambitions at University of Southampton. While commemorating the past, the speakers also welcomed the start of a new era with increasing opportunities for collaborations and cross-cultural exchanges between the Confucius Institute and the University. The event concluded with a Chinese Kung-Fu show, a Chinese traditional music performance, and tea tasting activities.

The delegation also participated in the “We are what we drink” Study Day on the 11th organized by Life Long Learning.