On the morning of April 23, Xu Yongji, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Confucian Association (ICA) and Director of its Membership Liaison Committee, led a delegation to Hebei Normal University (HEBNU) for research and a symposium. Zeng Zhi’an, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of HEBNU, attended the meeting. Representatives from the Division of International Cooperation, the School of History and Culture, the School of Marxism, the School of Chinese and Literature, and the School of International Cultural Exchanges, along with faculty members, also participated. Gao Shitao, Vice President of the Hebei Confucian Academy, accompanied the delegation.

Vice President Zeng Zhi’an extended a warm welcome to Xu Yongji and his delegation. He introduced the university’s history, current development, and its achievements in Confucian studies and heritage, as well as in the overseas promotion of the Chinese language and traditional Chinese culture. He expressed the hope that both sides would engage in in-depth cooperation in areas such as the study of Confucian classics, Confucianism and contemporary society, and Confucian practice-based education, jointly writing a new chapter in the development of Confucianism.

Xu Yongji presented an overview of the ICA’s organizational operations, cultural brand initiatives, and international exchange activities. He expressed the desire to strengthen cooperation and exchanges between the two sides, jointly hosting small-scale, high-level academic events to contribute to the promotion of civilizational exchange and mutual learning.

During the discussion session, participating representatives introduced their respective schools’ distinctive features in Confucian research, talent cultivation, and cultural heritage. The two sides exchanged views on deepening international exchanges and academic cooperation, as well as on supporting the development of ICA membership.

The International Confucian Association is one of China’s earliest-established international social organizations. It brings together academic societies, experts, and scholars from 144 countries and regions across five continents who are engaged in the study of Confucianism and traditional culture. The ICA is committed to researching and transmitting the essence of Confucianism and other traditional Chinese cultural thoughts, promoting the global dissemination and practice of Confucianism, and facilitating exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese civilization and other civilizations. It strives to make positive contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind, fostering world peace and development, and advancing the progress of human civilization.