On the 8th of February, 2019, CIBL held a grand New Year reception and a graduation ceremony for March 2018 intake CBCL students at the House of Lords of the British Parliament.
The guests of the event included members from various fields, graduates as well as their family members. More than 200 people joined this event.
The New Year's reception was chaired by Professor Jinghui Wang , new China Director of CIBL. Baroness Faulkner, a member of the House of Lords and alumnus of the London School of Economics, began her welcome speech, followed by Mr. Jianhui Xia, Education Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the UK and Mr. Richard Chenggaredi, the representative of the Advisory Board. They all highly praised the achievement of CIBL and its contribution to the promotion of cultural and business exchanges between China and the UK.
The most important session of the event, the student's graduation ceremony, was presided over by Dr. Xiang, UK director of CIBL and the event was conclude by Dr. Neil McLean, the former UK director.
This is the eighth time that CIBL held a Spring Festival celebration at the House of Lords of the British Parliament and the first time that a grand graduation ceremony was held for students of CIBL in this ancient British Parliamentary hall. Both the Confucius Institute staff and the staff of the House of Lords attach great importance to the event. There were two volunteers who were to go back China on Saturday, also came to help with the event! The supervisor of the House of Lords who usually wore black uniforms, switched to a set of red colored uniform to accompany us in celebrating the Chinese New Year!
This reception and student graduation ceremony not only provided a good platform for people who are concerned about China and Sino-British relations, but also successfully established and promoted the new brand of CBCL organized by CIBL. We wish and trust that participants and graduates will play a more important role in the development of Sino-British relations in the future.
2019年2月8日，伦敦商务孔子学院在英国国会上议院举行了隆重的新年招待酒会暨2018级CLCB(商务汉语与文化)学生结业典礼。本次活动参加的人员包括国会议员和政治、法律、金融、商业、文化、教育、媒体等各界人士，毕业生和他们的家人等共两百多人。
新年酒会由新任中方院长王敬慧教授主持。英国上议院议员，同时也是伦敦政治经济学院校友福克纳男爵夫人首先致辞，随后，中国驻英使馆教育参赞夏建辉先生，顾问委员会代表理查德·程嘉瑞狄先生应邀作了热情洋溢的发言，高度赞扬了伦敦商务孔子学院在促进中英文化及商务交流方面所做出的杰出贡献。此次活动的重要环节——学生的毕业典礼由伦敦商务孔院英方院长项骅博士主持，最后CIBL 前英方院长尼尔·麦克林（Neil McLean）做结束致辞。
此次活动是伦敦商务孔院第八次在英国国会的上议院举行春节庆典，也是第一次在这个古老的英国议会大厅为研修商务汉语与文化课程学生举办隆重的毕业典礼。满载着丰收的喜悦,满怀着对未来的期待,伦敦商务孔院挥手作别2018，砥砺奋进2019。不论是孔院员工还是上议院的工作人员都非常重视这次活动。有两位志愿者周六的飞机就要离任回国，周五还来站好最后一班岗！上议院的领班先生本来平时穿黑色制服，但这次特意穿红色制服配合我们庆祝中国新年！
在新春佳节到来之际，本次招待会暨学生毕业典礼不仅为关注中国以及中英关系的伦敦各界人士提供了一个很好的交流平台，也成功地树立与宣传了伦敦商务孔院汉语商务与文化教学新品牌。我们祝愿并相信参与者以及毕业生将在未来中英关系的发展中发挥更重要的作用。