The 15th anniversary of the Confucius Institute: still going strong!

Who says university evokes the universal, universality, the universe ... It is therefore in the very nature of a university to open its horizon to that of the world and the universe, and therefore to that of China and of its culture. The USJ is not afraid of the horizon. Here, the Confucius Institute was founded in 2006 at Saint Joseph University in Beirut. The fruit of a close collaboration with Shenyang Normal University proudly celebrates its 15th anniversary and resolutely continues its path to accomplish its dual mission: being a center for learning the Chinese language for children, schools, USJ students, company employees, etc..  and a cultural center that offers, in Beirut and in USJ regional campuses, various activities such as cooking, traditional music, martial arts, theater, etc.. The Chinese garden located in the Campus of Human Sciences, where presides the bust of Confucius, is a symbolic witness to this cultural presence.

The Confucius Institute project vigorously continues with a new five-year agreement recently signed with Shenyang Normal University under the aegis of the Chinese International Education Foundation. This foundation replaced the famous Hanban who administered the five hundred Confucius Institutes around the world. Let us seize this opportunity to commend the tremendous efforts of Dr. Antoine Hokayem who successfully directed the Institute during the first fifteen years before handing it over to Dr. Nisrine Lattouf.

The Confucius Institute, a wonderful Sino-Lebanese place of cultural exchange and the learning of a beautiful language through which, we wish USJ a bright future and hope further developments of its programs for the greater good.

Salim Daccache s.j., Rector of USJ

孔子学院建校15周年: 祝福孔子学院蒸蒸日上!  

谁说大学唤醒了普遍现象，一般规律，宇宙…，一所大学的本质就是要将自己的视线转向世界和宇宙。因此，USJ大学勇敢的向中国和中国文化打开自己的视野。 2006年，贝鲁特圣约瑟夫大学与沈阳师范大学紧密合作共同建立了孔子学院。 在庆祝孔子学院建校15周年之际，希望孔院坚定地继续履行其双重使命:一是成为儿童、学校、USJ大学的学生、公司员工等中文爱好者的学习中心；二是成为在贝鲁特USJ大学校园里提供各种如烹饪，传统音乐，武术，戏剧等文化活动中心。 孔子半身像就坐落在的圣约瑟夫大学人文学院的中国花园里，正是这种文化存在的体现。  

最近，在中国国际教育基金会的支持下，圣约瑟夫大学就孔子学院项目与沈阳师范大学继续签署为期五年的合作协议。 这个基金会取代了国家汉办来管理世界各地500多所孔子学院。 让我们借此机会赞扬安东尼·侯卡耶姆博士的巨大努力，他成功地带领孔子学院走过15个年头，然后把手中的接力棒传给了Nisrine Lattouf博士。  

孔子学院是中黎文化交流和语言学习的好地方，我们祝愿圣约瑟夫大学有一个美好的未来，祝孔子学院越办越好。  

圣约瑟夫大学校长  沙里姆. 达卡什