2015年9月18日，国家汉办主任许琳女士一行神采奕奕地来到美丽的诺丁汉大学银禧校区，对诺丁汉孔子学院进行了她的第一次考察。在短短的一个半小时的时间里，她亲切会见了诺丁汉大学副校长Nick Miles教授，诺丁汉孔子学院代理院长陈健博士、中方院长孟金蓉博士，以及当代中国学学院研究主任宋丽娜教授，亚洲商务中心高级主管何敏女士等与诺丁汉孔子学院有密切合作的单位代表。

图一  许琳主任在座谈会上与各方亲切交流

作为全英独有的、一个校区内有两栋办公教学大楼以中文命名的高校，诺丁汉大学素来对中国语言文化的传播给予大力的支持，并以其独特的中国元素和宽广的国际胸怀获得了许琳主任的高度赞赏。在诺丁汉孔院代理院长陈健博士、中方院长孟金蓉博士等人的陪同下，许主任一行兴致勃勃地参观了杨福家楼及思源楼，并对思源楼内孔子学院的教学、办公环境进行了考察，考察过程中表达了对孔院环境的高度赞许。

随后，许主任一行与诺丁汉大学副校长Nick Miles教授、孔院院长、合作机构代表以及孔院教师和合作机构成员们举行了座谈会。座谈会上，曾经在诺丁汉大学宁波分校担任校长的副校长Nick Miles教授对许琳主任一行的到访表示了热烈的欢迎，并表达了大学对孔子学院工作一如既往的赞许和支持。许琳主任发表了简短致辞，介绍了自己和诺丁汉孔院中方合办高校复旦大学及杨福家校长的渊源，并对诺丁汉大学孔子学院所做的工作及取得的成效给予了充分的肯定。

图二  许琳主任发表热情洋溢的致辞

接着，孔子学院双方院长陈健博士和孟金蓉博士则介绍了孔子学院自2007年建立以来历年工作情况。在报告中，陈健院长谈到：诺丁汉大学孔子学院以与中国有着深厚渊源的诺丁汉大学为依托，并在诺丁汉大学当代中国学学院和亚洲商务中心的大力支持下，在汉语教学、中国文化推广、学术交流以及商业交流等方面都取得了一定的成就，而诺丁汉地区现在也成为了英国人学习汉语的热点地区。两位院长还就未来发展方向做了详细的介绍，并提出了一些富有创造性的计划，如充分利用现有教学资源成立教师培训中心和考教结合中心；利用诺丁汉大学国际性特点建立三校区孔子学院，高效互动地将中文教学开展起来等。此外，当代中国学学院研究主任宋丽娜教授和亚洲商务中心高级主管何敏女士还分别介绍了与孔子学院合作的项目进程和成果，表达了继续密切合作的积极意愿。

整场座谈会中，许琳主任与各方畅谈了未来的发展方向，提出了依托诺丁汉大学国际性优势建立“三校区外方院长国际培训中心”的设想，肯定了诺丁汉孔子学院的主力地位，表达了对孔院未来发展计划的支持，同时也指出了孔子学院发展道路上将会遇到的挑战，对孔院的建设计划提出了指导性建议。许琳主任还认真听取了各方对孔子学院发展中存在的问题和困难、需要的协助和支持以及如何更好地促进孔子学院发展等有价值的意见和建议。许琳主任此行，既是督导，同时也会将诺丁汉孔子学院成功的经验加以总结，进而为世界各地孔子学院的创建和发展提供借鉴。

图三  许琳主任与诺丁汉大学副校长Nick Miles教授互赠礼物

此外，许琳主任还亲切慰问了诺丁汉孔子学院的新老教师，赞扬了何敏女士为脑瘤研究募集善款而发行的个人专辑，并预祝了当日启程的诺丁汉孔子学院英国中东部青年访华团活动取得成功。此次许琳主任一行的访问对诺丁汉孔子学院的发展规划和工作计划产生了极为重要的影响，指明了孔子学院的发展方向，激发了各方人员更大的工作热情，具有极为重大的意义。诺丁汉孔子学院将再接再厉，在原有工作基础上发展更多利于汉语教学和中英文化交流的项目，扩大当地影响力，成为示范性质的孔子学院。

图四  许琳主任一行与诺丁汉大学副校长Nick Miles等人在孔子学院楼前合影

Madam Xu’s Visit to Nottingham Confucius Institute (NCI)

Madam Xu Lin, the Director General of Hanban, with her entourages visited Jubilee Campus of the University of Nottingham for the first time. Within one and a half hour, she met Professor Nick Miles, PVC of the University of Nottingham, Dr Chen Jian, the acting director of NCI, Dr Meng Jinrong, deputy director of NCI, Prof Lina Song, Deputy Head of School of Contemporary Chinese Studies (SCCS), Min Rose, Senior Executive of Asia Business Centre (ABC) and other representatives of institutes cooperating with NCI closely.

Photo 1: Xu Lin communicates with representatives

As the only university with two buildings named by Chinese in the UK, the University of Nottingham always strongly supports the Chinese language and culture promotion, and it was highly praised by Madam Xu for its unique Chinese elements and broad international mind. Accompanied with Dr Chen and Dr Meng, Madam Xu visited Yang Fujia building and the Siyuan Centre. Especially, she inspected the teaching and working place of NCI in Si Yuan Centre with high praise.

Later on, a symposium was held in the Siyuan Centre. Presents at the meeting were Madam Xu and her entourages, Professor Nick Miles, the PVC of the University of Nottingham, the Deputy Directors of NCI, the representatives and staff of the collaboration and teachers of NCI. During the symposium, the PVC of the University of Nottingham Prof Nick Miles, who was also the president of the University of Nottingham Ningbo Campus several years ago, extended a warm welcome to Madam Xu and her entourages. At the same time he said the university would give their approval and support to NCI as always. Then Madam Xu gave a brief speech to introduce the relationship among Yang Fujia, the president of the University of Nottingham Ningbo Campus, the Fudan University and herself. Also she fully affirmed the Nottingham Confucius Institute’s work and effect.

Photo 2: Director Xu was giving a speech with such enthusiasm

And then, Dr Chen Jian, the Executive Director and Dr Meng Jinrong, the Deputy Director of NCI introduced the works in recent years. In Dr Chen Jian’s report, he said with the support of the University of Nottingham, the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies and Asia Business Centre, the Nottingham Confucius Institute have achieved a lot of effects on mandarin teaching, Chinese culture promotion, academic communication and business communication. Nowadays in Nottingham studying Chinese is getting more and more popular so that Nottingham becomes a hot Chinese learning area. The two directors of Confucius Institute also made an introduction in detail about the development direction in the future and gave some creative plans. Such as how to build a Teacher Training Centre and combination of teaching and examination centre by taking full advantage of the current teaching resources; to build three Confucius Institutes in each campus of the University of Nottingham in order to carry on the mandarin teaching programme more effectively. In addition, Prof Song Lina, the Deputy Head of SCCS and He Min, the Senior Supervisor of ABC gave reports about the processes and effects of the cooperation programs separately. At the same time they expressed their strong willing about continuing cooperation with NCI.

During the symposium, Madam Xu talked about the direction of future development. Relying on the international advantage of the University of Nottingham, She proposed an idea to establish "the International Training Centre for foreign President in three campuses ". She also affirmed the main position of NCI, expressed their support to the future development plans of NCI. She pointed out the challenges NCI will encounter on the path of development, and gave guidance suggestions to the construction. Besides, Madam Xu listened carefully to the valuable comments and suggestions about how to solve the problems and difficulties during the development of NCI, what assist and support do they need, and how to better promote the development of NCI. The aim of Madam Xu’s Visit is not only a supervision to NCI’s work, but also will summarize the successful experience of NCI, which in turn provide a reference for the creation and development of Confucius Institutes around the world.

In addition, Madam Xu greeted to the new and veteran teachers of NCI, praised Ms He Min’s solo album, which was released to raise fund for the brain tumour research. Madam Xu also wished the success of Nottingham Aspiring Leaders Visiting Group, whose departure on exactly the same afternoon. The visit of Madam Xu had a greatly influence on the development program and the working plan of NCI. It indicated the direction of development, and inspired greater enthusiasm of staff, which had extremely significance. NCI will continue making great efforts on the basis of the previous work, developing more projects in favour of the Mandarin teaching and cultural exchanges, expanding local influence, to become a Model Confucius Institute in the future.

(Bing Huang, Xiaodan Liu, Ran Li)