On the evening of June 21, the "Midsummer Dragon Boat Festival" was successfully held at COSCO Shipping Piraeus Port Authority. The event was co-organized by Athens Business Confucius Institute at the AUEB, COSCO Shipping Piraeus Port Authority, China Public Diplomacy Association, Chinese Embassy in Greece. With the theme of Dragon Boat Festival, the event introduced and demonstrated the customs of traditional Chinese festivals and provided a platform for the people of China and Greece to exchange and interact with each other. Deputy Rector of Athens University of Economics and Business Professor George Lekakos was invited to attend the event and delivered speech and Zhao Zhongxiu, President of the University of International Business and Economics, delivered a video congratulatory speech. Nearly 300 people participated in the event.

The Deputy Rector of Athens University of Economics and Business Professor George Lekakos mentioned in his speech that the Athens University of Economics and Business will continue to cooperate with the University of International Business and Economics to support the development of the Confucius Institute and the cooperation with Chinese companies to promote win-win relationships and contribute to infrastructure, trade and social development for common development and future prosperity.

The event consisted of five sessions: Tracing the origins, talking, drinking, singing and performing martial arts, which allowed the culture of Greece and China to ripple through the port of Piraeus.

1. Time & Location

Oct. 23, Sunday

11: 00 – 14:00

Agia Paraskevi Square

2. Organizers 

Host:  Athens Business Confucius Institute

Co-organizers:  Agia Paraskevi Municipality, Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Greece

3. Agenda

11:00 – 11:30 Opening Ceremony

Host: Mrs Hongwei Yan, Chinese Director of Athens Business Confucius Institute

Mrs Georgia Pispa, President of the Center for the Prevention of Addictions “ARGO” for the municipalities of Papagou – Cholargou- Agia Paraskevi

• Speeches
• Mr. Vassilis Zorbas, Mayor of Agia Paraskevi
• Ambassador Xiao Junzheng, Embassy of the People’s Republic in China in the Hellenic Republic
• Mr. Dionysis Lekkas, Vice Mayor of Education of Agia Paraskevi
• Vice Rector of UIBE (Video)
• Mr. Alexandros Papalexandris, Associate Professor, Co-director of Athens Business Confucius Institute

• Gift Exchanging

• Performance
• Kung Fu Performance
• Chinese Musical Instrument Guzheng Performance
• Chinese – Greek Poem Reading

11:30 – 14:00 Chinese Culture Workshops

• Chinese Painting Workshop

• Chinese Calligraphy Workshop

• Chinese paper cutting \ paper folding workshop

• Chinese language corner

• Tea Tasting & Traditional Chinese Clothes HANFU demonstration

  14:00 – 16:00 Formal Lunch (invited only)

*Bus (for Confucius Institute students and teachers, and kung fu school) will depart from Confucius Institute at 9:00 am, depart from Agia Paraskevi at 14:00 pm (pre-registered only).

In recent years, the exchanges between China and Greece have been increasing, and Chinese language teaching in Greece as a field thus has also flourished. In order to gain an in-depth understanding of the current situation and development opportunities of Chinese language teaching in Greece, to enhance communication among Chinese language teachers in Greece, to enhance local teachers’ teaching ability and broaden their academic horizon, Athens Business Confucius Institute at the AUEB plans to hold the "Chinese Language Teaching in Greece Conference " on June 26, 2022.

The seminar will invite Associate Professor Yan Hongwei, Director of the Confucius Institute for Business in Athens; Associate Professor Roula Tsokalidou Director of the Confucius Institute at Aristotle University, Professor Wang Xiaohong, Director of the Confucius Institute at Thessaly University along with other leaders and educators in the field of international Chinese teaching in Greece to conduct in-depth discussions on the current situation and to exchange experiences. At the same time, the conference will also introduce the CTCSOL exam and preparation guideline, which is believed to be of great help to the front-line teachers to further improve their teaching ability and knowledge in Chinese teaching education!

On May 7^th and 8^th, at the invitation of the Sparta Municipal Government, the Athens Business Confucius Institute grandly held the "Sparta Chinese Culture Festival" in Sparta. Chinese Ambassador to Greece Xiao Junzhen, Mayor of Sparta Petros Doukas, and Yan Hongwei, Director of the Athens Business Confucius Institute attended and delivered opening speeches.

Ambassador Xiao Junzheng said in his speech that Sparta has a splendid civilization, and its cultural and historical significance is as famous as Athens. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Greece, and the second year of the China-Greece Culture and Tourism Year. It is hoped that taking this "Sparta City Chinese Culture Festival" as an opportunity, Sparta City and the Chinese side will enhance contact, expand cooperation, share cooperation opportunities so as to enhance mutual understanding between the Chinese and Greek people.

Director Yan Hongwei said that the Athens Business Confucius Institute was honored to be invited to host this Chinese Culture Festival. As the first Confucius Institute in Greece, the Athens Business Confucius Institute actively organizes Chinese cultural promotion activities. It is hoped that the Chinese Culture Festival can sow the seeds of Chinese culture in the hearts of the Spartan people, enhance the friendship between the Chinese and Greek people, and promote cultural exchanges between China and Greece.

In his speech, the mayor of Sparta sincerely thanked the Athens Business Confucius Institute and the Chinese Embassy in Greece for their strong support for this event. Since ancient times, Sparta has advocated democracy, free public education, and equality between men and women, which has similarities with Chinese civilization. Sparta City looks forward to more cooperation with China in various fields.

On December 6, 2019, the 2019 Annual Meeting with our partner University of International Business and Economics was held in Beijing, China. Professor Alexandros Papalexandris, Foreign Dean of Athens Business Confucius Institute, Professor Han Hong, Director of the International Business Chinese Teaching and Resource Development, Professor Wang Bo, Deputy Dean of the School of International Relations, Li Yan, Deputy Secretary of the School of Foreign Languages, Yan Hongwei, Chinese Dean of the Athens Business Confucius Institute, Sun Tao, director of the Greek Department of the School of Foreign Languages and Li Rongrong, assistant to the director of the International Business Chinese Teaching and Resource Development, attended the meeting.

Professor Wang Bo, Deputy Dean, School of International Relations

A Rectors’ Forum, titled "Chinese-Hellenic Cooperation in Higher Education" was held on May 23, 2019, in the Great Hall of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, in cooperation with CEAIE and with the participation of a great number of universities from Greece and China. Both sides expressed their willingness to strengthen bilateral ties in Higher Education and strengthen the friendship between the two nations. Discussions included topics related to "Education, Innovation and Entrepreneurship", "Language and Cultural Teaching", "Student Mobility" and the use of "ICT in Education". The Chinese Ambassador to Greece, Mrs. Zhang Qiyue, held a reception to honor ministers of the Greek government, politicians and university authorities from Greece and China who participated in the forum. Greek students from the Business Confucius Institute at the Athens University of Economics and Business sang Chinese songs to honor the guests and to celebrate the cultural exchange and communication between China and Greece.

On Friday, 27 October 2017, Business Confucius Institute at AUEB celebrated the traditional Chinese festival---Double Ninth Festival.

Sets of tea pots with face images from the Beijing Opera in blue-and-white porcelain, chinese drums and lanterns and colorful drama costumes lighted up the hall.

Participants were amazed at the performances of traditional Chinese instruments--Pipa and Hulu Si by the Chinese teachers as well as at the live performance of noodles' stretching.

Participants played exciting games (Quick Answer and Mimic&Guess), kids got thrilled winning prizes.

Chinese opera costumes are colorful, lavish, extravagant—a visual feast. Girls tried them on! Selfies and photos were inevitable! 

雅典商务孔子学院在下属孔子课堂举办2017年“庆元宵猜灯谜”活动

作为中国传统节日文化中极为重要的一部分，农历正月十五的元宵节不管在国内还是海外都受到极大重视。2月10日，雅典商务孔子学院院长祖利军教授带领全体教师来到孔院下属的优达那基翁小学(Iordanakion)孔子课堂，与该校师生共同欢度元宵佳节。现场张灯结彩，气氛热烈，高潮迭起。
活动伊始，祖院长对元宵节这一传统中国节日进行了简单介绍，包括其起源、发展历程以及涉及的风俗等等，期间不时和当地小学生进行互动沟通，带领大家学习朗读“元宵节”。学生们全神贯注，对元宵节表现出了极大的兴趣，发出阵阵赞叹的声音。
元宵节是中国文化的代表之一。雅典商务孔院全体教师通过本次庆祝元宵佳节的活动，让更多的外国人了解了中国文化，架起了中外文化交流的桥梁，这也使得此次活动具有了超出其本身的意义。

故宫博物院院长讲座

雅典当地时间10月2日，雅典商务孔子学院荣幸地邀请到了故宫博物院院长单霁翔博士，做了一场精彩的题为《故宫的世界，世界的故宫》的专题讲座。最后在讲座的交流问答环节，受我院学员提出的问题的启示，单霁翔院长当场表示：从今以后，故宫博物院向全球孔子学院的学生免费开放，并派解说员专门解说。他同时表示，很希望与雅典商务孔子学院，也可以是其他孔子学院，在故宫博物院开展连续三天的文化活动。单霁翔院长的这一声明对全球孔子学院的工作具有重大意义。故宫向全球孔子学院学生免费开放这一举措，必将促进孔子学院的工作迈上一个更高的台阶，必将促进外国人对中国文化的进一步了解，必将为中外国际关系友好锦上添花。

The Palace Museum Dean Delivered a Speech

On October 2, the Business Confucius Institute in Athens was honored to invite the Palace Museum Dean Dr. Shan Jixiang, to deliver a wonderful speech entitled "the Forbidden City and the World". At the Q&A part, inspired by the questions raised by BCI students, the Dean, Jixiang Shan, said: from now on, the Palace Museum will be free for students from Confucius Institutes around the world, and will have commentators to guide them. He also expressed the hope that the Palace Museum would love to cooperate with BCI and also with other Confucius Institutes, to carry out a three-day cultural activities in the Palace. The statement of the Dean Shan is of great significance to the work of the Confucius Institute in the whole world. The free doors the Palace Museum opens to Confucius Institute students will promote the work of the Confucius Institute to a higher level, will encourage foreigners to understand Chinese culture further, and will be good for the friendship of China and foreign countries.

(From left to right) (Professor Zu Lijun, Chinese director of BCI; Dr. Jixiang Shan, Dean of the Palace Museum; Dr. Dimitris K. Kardaras, Greek director of BCI)

中希文化节举办

雅典当地时间2016年6月12日，希腊雅典商务孔子学院、希腊华侨中文学校、希腊Salamis市Paloukia小学、Stelios Katharos外语学校在Salamis市市政府礼堂联合举办“Two Worlds Becomes One” 中希文化节，约200名各界人士参与了此次活动。本次活动旨在促进中希两国文化交流、传播中华文化、推动汉语在希腊的发展。雅典商务孔子学院中方院长祖利军教授在活动开幕式上发言。本次中希文化节活动不仅为中希文化的交流做出自己的贡献，也宣传了中国文化，扩大了孔子学院在当地的影响力，有利于今后雅典汉语教学的开展。

The Sino-Greek Culture Festival held

Athens, June 12, 2016, Business Confucius Institute of Athens, Greek Overseas Chinese School, Paloukia Elementary School of Salamis , Stelios Katharos Foreign Language School jointly organized "Two Worlds Become One" Sino-Greek Culture Festival in Salamis City Hall Auditorium. About 200 people from all walks participated in this event. The event aims to promote cultural communication between China and Greece, the dissemination of Chinese culture, and the development of Chinese language in Greece. Prof. Zu Lijun, Dean of the Business Confucius Institute of Athens spoke at the opening ceremony of the event. The activities of the Sino-Greek Culture Festival not only make their own contribution to the communication of Sino-Greek culture, but also promote the Chinese culture, expand the influence of Confucius Institute in local area, that is beneficial for the future of Chinese language teaching in Athens.

(the Picture is a group photo of representatives from three joint sponsoring units of "Sino-Greek Culture Festival")