The Confucius Institute in Sofia Has Conducted Its Board of Directors Meeting For 2023 Online

At 9:30 a.m. Bulgarian time on 5th January, 2024 the annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the Confucius Institute in Sofia was conducted online and simultaneously in the Conference Room 515 of the Administration Building of the Beijing Foreign Studies University and in the Multifunctional Conference Hall of the Confucius Institute in Sofia.

Present at the meeting were the following people: Prof. George Valchev – the Rector of the Sofia University and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, Mr Jia Wenjian – a vice-President of the BFSU and a vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, Prof. Madeleine Danova - a vice-Rector of the Sofia University and Member of the Board of Directors, and Prof. Gergana Petkova – the Dean of the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literature at the Sofia University and member of the Board of Directors, Prof. Nako Stefanov - a researcher and lecturer at the Centre for Oriental Languages and Cultures at the Sofia University, Director Emeritus and Board of Directors member, Mr. Li Jiansheng - Executive Dean of the School of Chinese at the Beijing Foreign Studies University and member of the Board of Directors, Mrs Lin Wenshuang – a vice-Dean of the European School of Languages at the Beijing Foreign Studies University and member of the Board of Directors, Mr Jin Limin – the Director of the Division of the Confucius Institute of the Beijing Foreign Studies University, Mrs. Aksiniya Koleva – the Bulgarian director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, Prof. Liu Xiuming - the Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, Mrs Chen Ying – the successor Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, Mrs Tan Yue – the Regional Head of the Division of the Confucius Institute in the Beijing Foreign Studies University, and Mrs Wang Anqi – a liaison officer in the Confucius Institute.

The meeting has been chaired by Prof. Georgi Valchev - the Rector of the Sofia University. His words have been interpreted by Mrs Zhan Yanyi – a Bulgarian teacher at the European Language Institute of the Beijing Foreign Studies University.

The vice-President - Mr. Jia Wenjian, started the meeting by announcing the changes among the members of the Board of Directors: The Sofia University Rector Prof. Georgi Valchev was anounced Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Confucius Institute in Sofia. The Dean of the Sofia University – Prof. Gergana Petkova was added as a member of the Board of Directors.

The President - Prof. Georgi Valchev, and respectively the vice - President - Mr Jia Wenjian,  delivered their speeches. The Bulgarian director Mrs Akseniya Koleva presented a summary report of the work of the Confucius Institute in Sofia for 2023. The Chinese director – Prof. Liu Xiuming presented a report for the planned workload for 2024, the financial accounts for 2022 and the financial budget statement for 2023.

The Board of Directors discussed the work and the financial reports of the Confucius Institute. The heads of the two universitied summarised the meeting and invited the board members from both universities to confirm the signing of the minutes of the annual meeting of the Board of Directors for 2022.

The Bulgarian director of CIS - Mrs Aksinia Koleva, summarised the work of the Confucius Institute from the following aspects: "Strengthening the system, expanding the scale, enhancing the teaching, improving the quality, focusing on scientific research, developing courses, organising activities, gathering strength, opening up channels, expanding publicity, playing a role in promoting co-operation, expanding outreach, mutually beneficial co-operation, summing up the experience and making persistent efforts".

The Chinese director Prof. Liu Xiuming pointed out that in 2024, the work of the Confucius Institute in Sofia will focus on "repairing and evaluating the rain leakage in the Confucius Institute building, maintaining and upgrading the teaching software of the audio classroom, continuing to promote the Confucius Classroom in Burgas, adding new capacities to the teaching centers in two universities, upgrading and developing the electronic management of books, and developing the coordination work for the Chinese language teaching in the region".

The Board of Directors have unanimously affirmed the work of the Confucius Institute in Sofia in the past year and have praized their fruitful achievements. They have also appreciated the transparent financial reports and budgeting, and have expressed strong support for the targeted and the visionary development plan of the Confucius Institute.

The meeting of the Board of directors of the Confucius Institute in Sofia is being held regularly every year. It is a grand meeting for summarising and reporting the achievements of the Confucius Institute in Sofia during the current year, for analysis and for assessment of any possibly disguised problems, for planning and for conceptualising the future development of the CIS.

It is also a grand event for collaborative decision-making of the the leaders of the two educational institutions from China and Bulgaria, as well as for safeguarding the development of the Confucius Institute in Sofia. The annual meeting also doubles as a dicussion forum for practical measures to help overcoming real-life difficulties. Moreover, the meeting points out the direction of the development of Confucius Institute in Sofia and is of great significance.

The Confucius Institute in Sofia

Text: Liu Xiuming

Photos: Dima Pironkova

Reviewers: Aksiniya Koleva, Liu Xiuming

English translation: Maya Kostadinova

Figure 1. Speech by Prof. Georgi Valchev - the Chairman of the Board of Directors

Figure 2. Speech by Mr Jia Wenjian, - the vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors

Figure 3. Mrs Aksinia Koleva, the Bulgarian Director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, has delivered a summary report of the annual work of the CIS.

Figure 4. Prof. Liu Xiuming, the Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, has delivered a report on work planning and financial budgeting.

Figure 5. Screenshot from the meeting of the Board of directors of the Confucius Institute in Sofia in 2023.