On Wednesday, 2 April 2025, the Confucius Institute at De Montfort University (USTB-DMU CI) and Beauchamp College officially signed an agreement to establish the Beauchamp College Confucius Classroom. This initiative aims to strengthen collaboration between the two institutions, meet the growing local demand for Chinese language education, and foster deeper cultural understanding between China and the UK.

At the signing ceremony, Prof. ZHANG Yi, Chinese Director of USTB-DMU CI, expressed gratitude to former Chinese Directors for their contributions to the partnership. Alice King, Principal of Beauchamp College, reflected on the journey leading to this collaboration and shared her vision for the future. Following the formal signing and a commemorative group photo, Professor Louise Peacock and Anna Wang from De Montfort University extended their congratulations.

Founded in 1359, Beauchamp College is based in Leicester and operates under the Lionheart Educational Trust, which oversees nine secondary schools and five primary schools. The newly established Confucius Classroom, approved by the Chinese International Chinese Education Foundation, is a non-profit educational initiative jointly developed by USTB and De Montfort University.

USTB will work closely with DMU to enhance support and investment in the Confucius Classroom, ensuring its sustainable growth. Together, they aim to develop the program into a key platform for strengthening China-UK educational ties, advancing language learning opportunities, and deepening people-to-people exchange.

Draft: YI Qi

Revision: ZHANG Yi, LIU Jieli, CHENG Mingyuan