On August 19, 1965, 210 Vietnamese young people crossed the mountains and seas to Shanghai, entered the campus of East China Normal University, and became the first batch of foreign students, starting the journey of East China Normal University to connect China and the world with Chinese as a link...... By 1985, with the approval of the Ministry of Education, East China Normal University established a major in Chinese as a foreign language and literature under the Department of Chinese, becoming one of the first four universities in China to set up this major and recruit undergraduates.
This breakthrough marks the leap from "language training" to "independent discipline" in international Chinese language education - since then, Chinese language teaching is no longer a fragmented course, but a discipline field with a normative system and academic dignity, building a professional and systematic platform for the international dissemination of Chinese language and culture. So far, more than 100,000 international students from more than 130 countries and regions have come to the Riva River to start an in-depth dialogue with Chinese culture in the classroom of the Chinese language and literature major.
Chinese carries the wisdom of the Chinese nation for thousands of years of civilization and is an important public cultural product that China has contributed to the world. When the wave of globalization has spread over the years, and when the spark of mutual learning among civilizations lights up the right path in the world, East China Normal University's study abroad education has gone through 60 spring and autumn.
On the morning of October 18, the opening ceremony of the 60th anniversary of East China Normal University's study in China and international Chinese education was held in Siqun Hall of Putuo Campus. Representatives of brother universities, alumni at home and abroad, as well as teachers and students from the school gathered on the banks of the Riva River to witness the school's 60 years of studying in China and international Chinese education, and pursuing a new vision and new journey of excellence. The opening ceremony was presided over by Ye Jun, Vice Dean of the School of International Chinese Language and Culture of East China Normal University.
Wu Jian, Vice President of East China Normal University, delivered a speech Wu Jian, Vice President of East China Normal University, delivered a speech on behalf of the school. He first expressed his gratitude to leaders at all levels, partners at home and abroad and friends from all walks of life who have long cared about and supported the development of the internationalization of our university. Wu Jian said that East China Normal University particularly cherishes the thickness and temperature of this cause, and will continue to promote studying in China and international Chinese education to a new level in the future, and make new and greater contributions to promoting people-to-people exchanges between China and foreign countries and building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Xi Ru, Second-level Inspector of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchange of the Ministry of Education, delivered a speech In her speech, Xi Ru, second-level inspector of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchange of the Ministry of Education, highly affirmed the leading role of East China Normal University in the field of studying in China and international Chinese language education. Xi Ru pointed out that at present, China is in a critical stage of building an educational power, and the opening up of education has entered a new stage of high-level and institutional opening-up. She earnestly hopes that East China Normal University can always uphold an open and inclusive mind, promote the internationalization of education from a higher strategic position, and inject more solid educational strength into the realization of China's goal of becoming an educational power and the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Tian Lulu, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Scholarship Council, delivered a speech On behalf of the committee, Tian Lulu, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Scholarship Council, warmly congratulated East China Normal University. She said that the school has long carefully created various scholarship programs, continuously improved the enrollment and training system, innovated and held characteristic brand activities, and carried out fruitful work in the field of study abroad education and international Chinese education in many aspects. It is making great strides towards the goal of leading world-class international Chinese language education.
Ye Linlin, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, pointed out in his speech that as a national "double first-class" construction university, East China Normal University has devoted itself to studying in China and international Chinese education for 60 years, which has effectively promoted the internationalization of Shanghai's education. Ye Linlin has deep expectations for the future development of East China Normal University, emphasizing that the school should continue to closely benchmark the national education modernization strategy, based on Shanghai's urban development positioning, improve the quality of study abroad education in China, and promote the innovative and integrated development of international Chinese education.
Yu Yunfeng, Director of the Center for Chinese and Foreign Language Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education, delivered a speech Yu Yunfeng, Director of the Center for Chinese and Foreign Language Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech via video. Yu Yunfeng pointed out that international Chinese education and studying in China are like flowers of parallel flowers, accompanying each other, blending and promoting each other, achieving each other and growing together. Facing the future, Yu Yunfeng, on behalf of the Language Cooperation Center, said that he will continue to work hand in hand with East China Normal University to further promote the systematic and localized development of international Chinese language education, strengthen the integrated development of "Chinese + vocational education" and "Chinese + professional education", continuously improve the international communication matrix of Chinese language and culture, and contribute new and greater strength to the construction of a deep and lasting global influence of Chinese language and culture.
Liu Jun, President of City University of Macau, delivered a speech "Like-minded people are not far away from mountains and seas. Liu Jun, President of City University of Macau, delivered a speech as a representative of the brother universities. Liu Jun pointed out that educational exchanges are an important link to promote international understanding and deepen regional cooperation. ECNU and CityU have always maintained a close cooperative relationship. Looking forward to the future, he expressed his hope that CityU and East China Normal University will continue to work together to deepen cooperation in the innovation and development of international Chinese language education, jointly inject new vitality into the coordinated development of education in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and explore new paths for international talent training.
Ji Hairong, co-founder, executive director and chief marketing officer of Focus Media, delivered a speech Ji Hairong, co-founder, executive director and chief marketing officer of Focus Media, delivered a speech. Ji Hairong shared his precious memories on campus, and the teacher's teaching that "the yardstick of life is by no means worldly success, the value of life lies in pursuit and creation" inspired him to continue to create social value. Although he has left the international Chinese education industry, Ji Hairong still said that he will always be proud of his alma mater and his alma mater's international Chinese education, always be the backing of his alma mater and his younger students, and contribute to the new development of the school's cause.
Huang Meixu, Director of the International Education Center of East China Normal University, made a report on the work of studying in China and international Chinese education for 60 years. Huang Meixu pointed out that the scale of international students in China of East China Normal University has continued to expand, from a few hundred at the beginning to more than 5,000 in one academic year, from a single country to more than 130 countries now, and has trained more than 100,000 international alumni all over the world in the past 60 years. In the field of international Chinese education, East China Normal University has built a complete academic education and training chain for Chinese and foreign students, from undergraduate to master's and doctoral, from professional degrees to academic degrees. ▲Huang Meixu, Director of the International Education Center of East China Normal University, made a report on the work of studying in China and international Chinese education for 60 years
In order to further promote the high-quality development of studying in China and international Chinese education, East China Normal University will continue to adhere to the original intention of opening up education to the outside world and improve the cooperation network. combine intelligent technology to improve the quality of training; deepen internal reform and strengthen guarantee support; Based on China's positioning, play an international role, and create a wonderful story of "studying at Normal University" for more international students.
Technology empowers digital intelligence to drive Chinese innovation
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence is reshaping the form and core of global education with unprecedented power. Under this wave of change, international Chinese education has also ushered in a critical period of transformation - the focus of training needs to shift from the teaching of a single language skill to a deeper level of "ability building" and comprehensive "literacy cultivation", which has become an inevitable requirement for the development of the industry.
At the opening ceremony, two important measures carrying the mission of "education + technology" integration were implemented simultaneously: the "International Organization Intern Student Source Base" jointly built by East China Normal University and the Asian Simulation Alliance was officially unveiled, and the strategic cooperation framework agreement signed with iFLYTEK Co., Ltd. was launched simultaneously, injecting strong momentum into the innovation and development of international Chinese education.
School of International Chinese Language and Culture of East China Normal University and iFLYTEK Co., Ltd. signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement As an international scientific and technological organization officially established in 2024, the Asian Simulation Alliance now has nearly 40 member units in China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Sweden and other countries. The unveiling of the base will further open up the collaborative link of "industry-university-research-application" in the field of simulation technology, and promote the in-depth cooperation between industry-university-research collaboration in simulation technology and talent training in universities.
The strategic cooperation with iFLYTEK focuses on the research and development of "Chinese digital learning agents", the expansion of "Chinese + professional" products, and the research and development of artificial intelligence-enabled education and research. The two sides will give full play to the advantages of universities in the accumulation of international Chinese education theory and teaching resources, and work with enterprises in AI technology research and development and digital product implementation to jointly build an adaptive smart Chinese education platform, promote the transformation of Chinese education to scenario-based and intelligent, and provide better language education support for countries along the "Belt and Road".
The initiative focuses on the pursuit of excellence for the future
At the event site, a special international alumni came all the way - he was Huang Cha, the representative of the first batch of international students from East China Normal University in 1965 and now nearly eighty years old.
Huang Cha looked back on his studies at East China Normal University affectionately: "In 1965, I just turned 18 years old and came to China from a rural area in central Vietnam to study, which was the most unforgettable moment of my life. After boarding the international train directly to Shanghai from Pingxiang Railway Station on the Sino-Vietnamese border, the teachers of East China Normal University welcomed us like family. The conversation was full of sincerity: "East China Normal University is our second home in a foreign country." ”
In 1965, after the first batch of representatives of East China Normal University and Vietnamese international students Huang Cha graduated, Huang Cha entered the Chinese Department of Hanoi University in Vietnam to teach and served as the director of the translation office of the Chinese Department.
The release of the "China-Vietnam Chinese Education Cooperation Proposal" coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam. East China Normal University issued the "China-Vietnam Chinese Education Cooperation Proposal", pressing the "upgrade button" for China-Vietnam language education cooperation. The "China-Vietnam Chinese Education Cooperation Proposal" proposes four major directions: jointly building Chinese majors, jointly building a "Chinese +" talent training system, sharing a smart teaching platform, and jointly organizing academic exchanges.
"My China Normal University, you are everything in my youth, the years will grow old, and the original intention will not fade......" In the simple singing, Chinese and foreign teachers and students jointly interpreted "My China Normal University" written and composed by Huang Cha himself, and the melodious melody is full of deep friendship across mountains and seas.
After the opening ceremony, the "60th Anniversary of Studying in China and International Chinese Education Achievement Exhibition" was unveiled, which comprehensively reviewed the milestones in the development of East China Normal University's study in China and international Chinese education from 1965 to the present, and revisited the glorious years of East China Normal University's 60 years of studying in China and international Chinese education.
Exhibition time: October 18, 2025 - April 18, 2026 Location: East side of the first floor of Gezhi Building (Physics Building), Putuo Campus, East China Normal University
In the afternoon of the same day, four sub-forums were held on campus: "Dean's Forum on the Development of Studying in China under the Background of Educational Power", "Dean's Forum on the High-quality Development of International Chinese Education", "Alumni Forum for Future Talent Training of International Chinese Education", and "Alumni Forum for International Students in China". Representatives from more than 30 universities focused on "Integration and Innovation: New Opportunities for International Chinese Language Education"; improve governance capabilities and strengthen the brand of "Study in China"; Conduct in-depth discussions on topics such as talent training and career development, and jointly draw a new blueprint for international Chinese education.
Sixty years of continuous fire, a Jiazi spring and autumn fruits.
At present, building a community with a shared future for mankind has become the main theme of the times, deepening international cooperation in education and promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, which is not only in line with the inevitable requirements of global development, but also carries the important mission of promoting the progress of human civilization. Standing at a new starting point, East China Normal University will always embrace the world with an open and inclusive mind, continue to innovate on the road of studying in China and international Chinese education, and continue to contribute to the opening up of education in the new era.
