On July 28, the Confucius Institute at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), which was a cooperative project between SDU and NTU, held the 10th anniversary celebration. Zhang Rong, President of SDU, specially sent a congratulatory letter before the event. Wang Qilong, Executive Vice President of SDU, and his delegation attended the celebration ceremony by invitation.

In the congratulatory letter, Zhang Rong said that, 10 years ago, SDU and NTU worked together to make the Confucius Institute at NTU become one of the longest established Confucius Institute in the whole world.

He also expressed his hope that the two universities will continue making concerted efforts in the next decade, so the Confucius Institute make more contribution in friendly exchanges beyond time, place and country.

At the ceremony, Wang Ruijie, Singapore’s Minister of Education, Bertil Anderson, President of NTU, Chen Jinliang, Director of Confucius Institute at NTU, and other related representatives of Singapore delivered speeches.

They stated that, with the help of the advantages of the two universities, the Confucius Institute not only played an effective role in academic research and education, but also in the whole society, for it gave Singaporean people deep insight into the Chinese language and culture and promoted the cultural blending as well.

They also hoped to work more closely with SDU and make more cooperative projects in educational exchange and cultural exchange between China and Singapore on the base of the Confucius Institute.

Giving a speech on behalf of China, Yu Yunfeng, Counselor of Education for China's Embassy in Singapore, mentioned that NTU and SDU provided powerful academic and cultural support for the development of the Confucius Institute, and hoped that the two universities will have closer cooperation and become the model of cooperation of the universities in the two countries.

As to the Confucius Institute, he also expressed his wishes that it will take the lead in the area of education between China and Singapore and in cultural exchanges, building its own brand.

More than 200 people from political, educational and business circles and partner representatives attended the ceremony.

During the activity, Wang Qilong respectively had talks with Wang Ruijie, Bertil Anderson and Chen Jinliang about the development orientation and social function of the Confucius Institute, and how to carry out inter-school exchange activities based on the institute.

Wang Qilong also stated that SDU is one of the first universities involved in the construction of the Confucius Institute in China. During the past 10 years, SDU actively integrating high quality education resources, academic resources and cultural resources and supported the construction not only in practical but in theoretical aspect, having had positive responses and been recognized at home and abroad.

During the events, Wang also paid a visit to those international Chinese teacher volunteers who were practicing in Singapore, talked with them about their work, and valued this practical experience, which broaden their mind and enhanced abilities, becoming the calling card of China.

The Confucius Institute at NTU was started in August 2005. In July 2007, Singapore's Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and Former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China Xu Jialu presided over the opening ceremony of the Confucius Institute together. Moreover, in 2010, the Confucius Institute at NTU won the title of Global Advanced Confucius Institute.