The 2018 Joint Conference of Confucius Institutes in Africa was held in Maputo, Mozambique on the 13-15th May 2018. The theme of the conference was “Innovation and Featured Development of Confucius Institutes; Improving Educational Quality of Confucius Institutes; and Strengthening Cooperation & Experience Sharing of Confucius Institutes”.

The event was hosted by the Confucius Institute at Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique and supported by the Chinese Embassy in Mozambique. The aim of the event was to exchange experiences to enhance cooperation and promote the development of Confucius Institutes of Africa. The delegates were from 63 Confucius Institutes and classrooms from 40 African countries. The delegates were also from Chinese Partner Universities (26), representatives from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Mozambique, representatives from China-funded organisations (13) and representatives from Confucius Institute Headquarters, Hanban.

The keynote speakers emphasized the role of Universities and Confucius Institutes in building ‘a community of shared future for mankind’, and how both institutions, collaboratively, may assist the community to develop solutions to societal problems through educational and cultural cooperation between China and Africa.

Under the theme “Strengthening Cooperation & Experience Sharing of Confucius Institutes”, CI speakers expressed their strong desire to support Chinese enterprises operating in the African countries to employ local human resources, through appropriate and adapted language training programmes for business/trade development between Africa and China.

Other speakers again mentioned that a new chapter of cooperation between China and Africa lies in the ability of Confucius Institutes to bring peoples together through the promotion of language and culture and people-to-people exchanges. Confucius Institutes are sound platforms for a win-win cooperation between Africa and China.