Poznan, May 7th-9th, 2012--The first international conference on the theme of "World Comparative Education Study and Confucius Institutes" was successfully hosted by the Confucius Institute at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, a famous historical city in Poland.

Comparative education study views globalized education in the world from a cross-cultural perspective, aiming at encouraging objective mastery of common educational principles and promoting inclusive and more effective international education reform and cooperation. The rapidly growing number of Confucius Institutes worldwide are teaching and holding cultural activities in foreign lands and against the background of foreign politics, economy and culture, of the characteristics of cross-nation, cross-nationality and cross-culture. The concept, content and method of education and cultural activities by Confucius Institutes lie just on the intersection of perspectives of international education and comparative education. As such, "World Comparative Education Study and Confucius Institutes" Conference is of great significance for the development of comparative education study, the scientific development of education in China and other countries, the establishment of the status and function of Confucius Institutes in the comparative education study, and the research on the development of Confucius Institutes.

The conference theme is "Comparative Education Study and Confucius Institutes: Diversity, Exchange, Reform, Sustainable and Sound Development".

The conference venue was the elegant and magnificent conference hall of the Adam Mickiewicz University.

At the opening ceremony, Jacek Witkos, Vice-President of Adam Mickiewicz University, extended his congratulations on the opening of the conference, reviewed the establishment and rapid development of the Confucius Institute at Adam Mickiewicz University, and expressed his hope for the continued improvement of the Confucius Institute. Yang Jianhua, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at Adam Mickiewicz University expressed a warm welcome to all the scholars and experts present along with all the participants of the conference. He also gave a detailed introduction to the formation of the conference theme and the preparation for the conference, hoping the conference would provide a new and better platform for the research of comparative education study and the development of Confucius Institutes.

Prof. Wing On Lee, President of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES), and renowned expert on comparative education, was invited to the conference and presented a keynote speech entitled "Where the East Meets with the West �C the autonomous person as the education person", in which he probed into some important topics in international and comparative education study in an interactive way. The atmosphere was lively and the audience was very engaged. Prof. Wing On Lee's participation of the conference through a special trip in his very busy schedule and his very wonderful speech were warmly welcomed by all the participants of the conference.

Prof. Liu Baocun, Vice President of Comparative Education Society of China and President of International and Comparative Education Research Institute of Beijing Normal University, renowned expert on comparative education, presented his keynote speech on the promotion of language and culture. In his speech he gave an overview and delved into the issues on the promotion of language and culture and the institutions that promote language and culture from the perspective of comparative education. Prof. Sun Qilin, Vice President of Comparative Education Society of China and Supervisor of doctor students at Institute of International and Comparative Education of Northeast Normal University, famous expert on comparative education, gave a keynote speech on the operation and development mode of Confucius Institutes from a comparative perspective. Mohammad Abdel Dayem, Senior Prof. of Comparative Education and Education Administration, United Arab Emirates University, made his keynote speech on "Borrowing and Adaptation: A Challenge in Comparative Education Studies", presenting an incisive and expositive discussion about the major core issues of comparative education theory. Prof. Zhang Qian, President of Tianjin Comparative Education Society and Executive Member of the Council of Comparative Education Society of China gave his keynote speech entitled "Picks of Education by Confucius Theory", making an in-depth probe into the "harmony but not sameness" thoughts of Confucian Theory. Former senior official in Education Office at Chinese Embassy in Poland, and professor of Polish Language at Beijing Foreign Studies University, gave his keynote speech which included a systematic review and outlook of the establishment and development of Confucius Institutes.

Experts, scholars and some foreign and Chinese directors and Chinese language teachers of Confucius Institutes from more than ten countries and regions from China, Hong Kong, Asia, Europe, USA, Latin America, Africa, etc. participated in the conference, and read their papers at the conference. Participants made enlightening inquiries into some significant issues about international and comparative education study and Confucius Institutes, such as "Cultural Values of Harmony but not Uniformity: A Challenge in International Education", "Theory Framework of Evaluation of Traditional Confucian Values and Morality", "Maintaining Chinese as A Heritage Language (HL)", "Professionalization of Chinese Teachers in Foreign Countries in a Cross-cultural Perspective", "Local Teacher Training in International Education: A Comparative Approach", "International Lingual and Cultural Teaching Material Writing Program: A Comparative Approach", "Inter-school Cooperation Programs between Nations: The Spread of Multiple Cultures and Education and Market", "Role and Function of Confucius Institutes in Globalization of Education and Culture: A Comparative Approach", "Chances and Challenge: Confucius Institutes' Sustainable Development under the Perspective of Comparative Education", "Strategy of Promotion of Chinese in A Multi-lingual Context under Comparative Education", and "Standards and Evaluations of Confucius Institutes: Comparative Approaches".

All the scholars and experts present at the conference spoke highly of the successful conference by the Confucius Institute at Adam Mickiewicz University, which was the first international academic conference on "Comparative Education Study and Confucius Institutes" in the world. They pointed out that the conference provides a groundbreaking historic platform for international and comparative education study and research of the development of Confucius Institutes, and thus is of great significance academically.

All the participants at the conference also gave full praise to the pragmatic meaning of the conference, saying the conference broadened their eyesight and activate their thinking by listening to the keynote speeches by professionals and by exchanging ideas among participants. In particular, foreign and Chinese directors and Chinese language teachers from Confucius Institutes said that the conference would bring about a deeper study of sound and sustainable development of Confucius Institutes at a novel and higher theoretical perspective. The conference offers an important theoretical platform for the study of development of Confucius Institutes and undoubtedly will be of significance to the development of Confucius Institutes.

The participants look eagerly forward to the second "World Comparative Education Study and Confucius Institutes".

This is the first high�Clevel international academic conference hosted by the Confucius Institute at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland, and marks a new level at which the Confucius Institute has developed in academic research.