The Chinese and Bulgarian Directors of the Confucius Institute in Sofia Shared Their Cooperation Experience with the Directors from the Orientation Training Course for Chinese Directors of Confucius Institutes

From 9:00 to 10:30 on May 22 local time (14:00 to 15:30 Beijing time), Aksiniya Koleva, Bulgarian director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, and Liu Xiuming, the Chinese director, were invited to participate in the pre-employment training for the Chinese directors of Confucius Institutes organized by the Chinese International Education Foundation and held at Beijing Language and Culture University. The Chinese directors-elect who are going to work in 54 countries on five continents shared their experience on "division of work and cooperation to enhance understanding".

In the lecture, The Chinese and Bulgarian directors shared with everyone the 14 principles of getting along with each other to build mutual trust, enhance understanding, and support each other:

Understand the culture and respect the differences;

Do not forget the mission and keep the goal clear;

Set the positions clearly and distinguish between the primary and the secondary;

Respect and trust one another, respect and love each other;

Understand one another and exchange views;

Divide the work clearly and each one will perform their duties;

Focus both on the key things and the details;

Seek common ground while reserving differences and aim for unity against the outside world;

Support each other and keep in mind that the overall situation is the most important;

Don't wait and don't rely on others, and have the courage to contribute;

Dare to take responsibility and refuse to shirk it;

Establish rules and regulations and restrain behavior;

Seek common development and flourish.

We hope that this sharing of experience will help the elected Chinese directors in the following aspects: first, on the basis of highlighting personal qualities, highlighting the potential of their abilities, developing their professional expertise, and improving work efficiency, to be able to clarify responsibilities, position themselves rationally, give full play to advantages, make proper arrangements, enhance unity and advance work. Second, to integrate in a better and faster way into the university where the Confucius Institute is located and the local society in general.

Confucius Institute in Sofia

Text: Liu Xiuming

Pictures: Tian Huichao, Liu Xiuming

Editors: Liu Xiuming, Aksiniya Koleva, Liu Tianchao

English translation: Dima Pironkova

Picture 1 The Chinese and Bulgarian directors share their experience with the Chinese director-designates (screenshot)

Picture 2 The Chinese and Bulgarian directors share their principles on cooperation and some particular cases (screenshot)

Picture 3 Difficulties that are likely to be encountered in work and life and solutions for them (screenshot)