From November 14 to 16, the 2025 World Chinese Language Conference was held in Beijing. DING Xuexiang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended the conference and delivered a keynote speech.
DING Xuexiang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council
On November 16, the parallel session " Application and Practice of Digital Intelligence at Confucius Institutes" at the 2025 World Chinese Language Conference, co-hosted by USTB and the Chinese International Education Foundation, was held at the China National Convention Center. Representatives from Confucius Institutes across the globe and Chinese language education experts from home and abroad gathered to discuss development strategies and jointly promote the digital and intelligent innovation of international Chinese language education.
ZHAO Lingshan, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Chinese International Education Foundation (CIEF)
ZHAO Lingshan, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Chinese International Education Foundation(CIEF), emphasized that CIs have always prioritized digital-intelligent development and innovation, firmly implementing and promoting new technologies, concepts, and models in digital-intelligent education. The Foundation remains committed to advancing the CI strategies of digital-intelligent development, designating 2025–2027 as the "Digital-Intelligent Thematic Years." By strengthening exemplary leadership, fostering collaborative sharing, and driving digital-intelligent upgrades, the initiative aims to make Chinese language teaching smarter, cultural exchanges more dynamic, and collaborative ecosystems more integrated. Therefore, it will contribute CI wisdom to the pivotal question of "What role should education play in the digital-intelligent era?"
YANG Renshu, President of University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB)
YANG Renshu, President of USTB, highlighted the university's profound legacy in international exchanges and extensive experience in global cooperation, noting its unique role in promoting Chinese language education worldwide and facilitating mutual learning among civilizations. USTB leverages its technological strengths to innovate Chinese language education, collaborating with the Foundation to establish the Confucius Institute Digital Technology Research Center. The university is deeply involved in the overall planning of the CI digital platform to support the global digital transformation of CIs.
LI Qiang, Deputy Director of China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC)
LI Qiang, Deputy Director of the China Internet Network Information Center, stated that over the years, the Center has led the establishment of a globally unified Chinese character set for the Internet, conducted research on internationalized multilingual domain name standards, and promoted the inclusion of the ".cn" domain name into the global internet root system. Chinese domain names, represented by ".cn," serve as fundamental internet resources that showcase the unique charm of Chinese culture, laying a solid foundation for the global presence of Chinese language and empowering digital communications in Chinese language worldwide.
Signing ceremony
During the session, CIEF and the China Internet Network Information Center signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement and officially launched the Chinese domain name "ci.cn" for the Confucius Institute Global Portal.
USTB's Confucius Institute was recognized as a model case
President YANG Renshu presented honors to the award-winning representatives
Subsequently, at the award ceremony of the Selection Event of Cases on Confucius Institute Digital Application and Practice, President YANG Renshu presented honors to the award-winning representatives. Twenty Confucius Institutes and Classrooms received the Model Case Award. Among them, the case submitted by USTB's Confucius Institute, themed "Digital Empowerment of Primary School Chinese Language Teaching in Leicester, UK – Exploring the Sustainability of Chinese Language Teaching in a Cross-Cultural Context," was recognized as a model case.
Justine Jackson, Executive Chair of the Leicester Chinese Teaching Centre, initiated by University of Science and Technology Beijing-De Montfort University Confucius Institute(USTB-DMU Confucius Institute), delivered a thematic report on the digital empowerment of primary school Chinese language teaching in Leicester, UK, focusing on the sustainability of cross-cultural Chinese language teaching.
Justine Jackson delivered a thematic report
In recent years, USTB has actively responded to the strategic action for educational digitalization, adhering to the educational philosophy that emphasizes "distinctive features, high quality, and internationalization". It has comprehensively advanced deep cooperation with Confucius Institutes worldwide, achieving significant results in promoting the digital transformation of international Chinese language education and making positive contributions to Sino-foreign cultural exchanges.
First, digital infrastructure to lay a solid foundation for development. Relying on the Research Center of Digital Technology for Confucius Institute, USTB fully leverages its disciplinary strengths in artificial intelligence, big data, and other fields to focus on building a next-generation smart teaching platform and a multilingual digital resource repository. By creating an open, shared, and continuously evolving technology base, USTB provides stable and reliable technical support for Confucius Institutes worldwide, demonstrating its responsibility in the construction of digital infrastructure for education.
Second, teaching innovation to reshape educational models. USTB deeply integrates the educational concept of "Chinese + digitalization," systematically develops a series of courses incorporating intelligent technologies, and innovatively builds cross-national virtual teaching and research hubs. Leveraging its cooperation network with over 270 universities worldwide,USTB continuously optimizes personalized learning paths, creates immersive language environments, and forms a unique international talent cultivation system.
Third, platform construction to enhance service efficiency. USTB is committed to building a sustainable digital service platform. By establishing standardized interfaces, opening platform capabilities, and sharing educational resources, it has formed a virtuous development mechanism. Currently, USTB has established deep cooperation with educational institutions in multiple countries, providing high-quality and convenient language services to Chinese language learners worldwide, demonstrating the innovation capacity in educational technology services.
Fourth, international cooperation to gather global wisdom. USTB continuously expands cooperation network with educational institutions, research institutes, and technology companies from various countries, promoting the sharing of high-quality educational resources through high-level forums, joint research, and teacher training. These practical measures fully reflect USTB's leading role in promoting international cooperation in education.
Looking ahead, USTB will continue to deepen digital cooperation with global partners, promote the deep integration of information technology and Chinese language education, continuously contributing the strength of USTB to building a more open, inclusive, and smart international Chinese language education system. Let’s join hands and work together to create an even brighter future for international Chinese language education!
