On 17th April, a five-member delegation from Ulster University (UU), including Vice President Paul Connolly, Professor Sven Schottmann, Dr Kathrin Rhys, Dr. Yan Liu, and Ke Wang from CINIUU, came to visit Hubei Normal University (HBNU). President Lei Rujin and his colleagues from the International Exchange Division attended the welcome conference.

Lei Rujin first expressed his warm welcome to the visiting delegation and introduced the basic situation of Hubei Normal University. He stressed that Hubei Normal University has always attached great importance to international exchanges, and Ulster University is an important partner of our University. The two sides have a high degree of trust and close cooperation in building the Confucius Institute in Northern Ireland and carrying out a full range of cooperation and exchanges. Lei Rujin expressed his hope that in the future, the two universities can continue to use the Confucius Institute as a platform to broaden the field of cooperation and explore joint training, cooperative research, student exchanges, and other projects. Lei Rujin expressed his thanks again to Prof Connolly for leading a delegation to the university last year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hubei Normal University.

Professor Connolly said it was a great honor to participate in the 50th anniversary celebrations of Hubei Normal University. He noted that Ulster University attaches great importance to the construction of the Confucius Institute in Northern Ireland and thanked Hubei Normal University for continuing to send international Chinese teachers and volunteers to the Confucius Institute over the past ten years. Professor Connolly emphasized that the Confucius Institute not only provides a platform for primary and secondary school students from Ulster University and Northern Ireland to learn the Chinese language and understand Chinese culture but also makes an important contribution to the promotion of exchanges and mutual understanding between the people of the two regions.

Afterward, the relevant responsible comrades of the International Exchange and Cooperation Office accompanied Prof. Connolly and his entourage to participate in the Second Sino-British Humanities Exchange International Forum held in the Centre for British Studies in the afternoon of the same day.