The Confucius Institute at Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ) celebrated the Chinese New Year with a festive dinner held on Thursday, February 12 at the USJ L’Atelier Restaurant, bringing together academic leaders, diplomats, and members of the Lebanese-Chinese community.
The celebration was attended by Prof. François Boëdec, SJ, Rector of USJ; H.E. Mr. Chen Chuandong, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Lebanon; USJ Vice-Rectors, Prof. Carla Eddé, Vice-Rector for International Relations, and Prof. Fadi Geara, Vice-Rector for Administration; and Dr. Nisrine Abdel Nour Lattouf, Director of the Confucius Institute at USJ, in the presence of representatives of the Chinese Embassy, leaders of Lebanese-Chinese associations, members of the Confucius Institute Board, and members of the wider USJ community.
Opening the evening, Dr. Nisrine Abdel Nour Lattouf welcomed the guests and highlighted the spirit of friendship and cultural exchange that guides the work of the Confucius Institute. As the Year of the Fire Horse begins, she extended her wishes of health, happiness, success, and renewed energy for the year ahead. She also shared the meaning behind the symbolic gift offered to the guests, the book Charming Lebanon: Little Paris of the Middle East, authored by Christian Taoutel in collaboration with the Confucius Institute’s instructors.
Prof. François Boëdec, SJ, then took the floor and expressed his pleasure at celebrating the Chinese New Year at USJ with the Confucius Institute. He highlighted the strong partnership between Saint Joseph University of Beirut and Shenyang University, describing it as a living bridge between cultures that goes far beyond language teaching. Built on mutual respect and the sharing of knowledge, this cooperation continues to open new academic and cultural perspectives. Marking 20 years since the creation of the Confucius Institute at USJ, he thanked Dr. Nisrine Lattouf for her commitment and reaffirmed the University’s desire to further strengthen this collaboration, in the spirit of energy and momentum symbolized by the Year of the Fire Horse.
As for H.E. Mr. Chen Chuandong, he thanked the Confucius Institute and Saint Joseph University for organizing the celebration and for their continued efforts in promoting the Chinese language and culture. He spoke about the importance of the Chinese New Year, not only as the most significant celebration in Chinese households, but also as a cultural tradition recognized by UNESCO and increasingly shared with the world.
The Ambassador also highlighted the shared values between China and Lebanon, particularly the importance of family, respect for traditions, and openness to diversity. Referring to President Xi Jinping’s Global Civilization Initiative, he emphasized the need for civilizations to respect and learn from one another in order to build harmony and peace. He also recalled President Joseph Aoun’s description of Lebanon as a bridge between East and West and reaffirmed China’s readiness to strengthen ties with Lebanon in the political, economic, and cultural spheres.
Finally, referring to traditional Chinese sayings linked to the Year of the Horse, the Ambassador praised the Confucius Institute at USJ as the first in the Middle East and expressed his hope that it would continue to play a leading role in promoting Chinese language and culture. As China and Lebanon celebrate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, he shared his wish that the relationship between the two countries would move forward with renewed success.
The evening concluded in a warm and festive atmosphere, reflecting the vitality of cultural dialogue and the lasting friendship between Lebanon and China.
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