n December 5, 2018, at the 13^th Confucius Institute Conference, Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) and its Confucius Institute (CI), co-established with the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP), won “Outstanding Confucius Institute Chinese Partner” and “Confucius Institute of the Year”. The conference, held in Chengdu, was attended by over 1500 delegations from 154 countries and regions.

On behalf of SISU, University Council Chair Jiang Feng accepted the award from Tian Xuejun, vice minister of education and executive council member of CI Headquarters. Established in 2012 as part of the Development Plan of CIs (2012-2020), the award is the highest honor for Chinese partners of CIs. SISU also won the award in 2014 and 2015.

The winning of “Confucius Institute of the Year” by SISU and PUCP is yet another evidence of SISU’s accomplishment in promoting CIs overseas. Launched in 2009, the CI-PUCP now holds more than 14,000 registered students. Aiming for Chinese teaching of the highest quality, the Institute designs its curriculum based on the needs of the students and has developed a quality assurance system for teaching. In 2018 alone, this hub of Chinese culture activities organized 55 events, from lectures to seminars and from exhibitions to performances, attracting more than 9,800 visitors. The events were widely covered by Peruvian as well as Chinese media. Entering its tenth year in 2019, the Institute has identified strategic goals to ensure sustainable growth in five primary areas: teacher training and research capacity, student satisfaction, status in school and in society, high-quality development and resource optimization.

SISU has long been devoted to the design of CI programs and the cultivation of talents in related fields, contributing consistently to the “Confucius China Studies Program”, a core project supported by the CI Headquarters (Hanban). Currently, SISU has an Office of CIs and a training center for translators and interpreters aspiring to work in CIs overseas. To date, among the honors collected by the CI of SISU and its staff are “Outstanding Confucius Institute Chinese Partner” (three times), “Confucius Institute of the Year” (two times) and “Confucius Institute Individual Performance Excellence Award”. So far, SISU has co-established 10 CIs worldwide, in Italy, Japan, Spain, Peru, Hungary, Morocco, Uzbekistan, Canada, the U.S. and Greece. Serving as platforms for language learning, cultural exchanges and academic discussion, these CIs have significantly furthered the internationalization of Chinese schools of higher learnings and strengthened their ties with overseas counterparts.