9 September 2026 — The entire team of the Confucius Institute at the University of Kelaniya paid a courtesy visit to Professor Narada Fernando, the newly appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, on 9 September 2026. The team extended its warm congratulations on his appointment and engaged in a fruitful discussion on the development of the Confucius Institute, China–Sri Lanka university cooperation, and key programmes planned for the coming months.
The meeting was attended by members of the Board of the Confucius Institute, Senior Professor Patrick Ratnayake, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Dr. Udara de Silva, Head of the Department of Modern Languages, Dr. Kumari Jayasooriya, Sri Lankan Director of the Confucius Institute, Professor Guan Pin, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute, as well as all Chinese language teachers and volunteers currently serving at the Institute.
During the meeting, Vice Chancellor Professor Narada Fernando shared his personal experiences of studying and participating in academic activities in China. Drawing on his first-hand experiences, he spoke about his understanding of China and expressed his keen interest in further strengthening educational and cultural exchanges between Sri Lanka and China.
Professor Guan Pin, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute, congratulated Professor Fernando on his appointment and expressed appreciation for the continued support and strong commitment demonstrated by successive Vice Chancellors of the University of Kelaniya towards the development of the Confucius Institute.
Professor Guan also provided an overview of the key collaborative programmes currently being implemented between Chongqing Normal University and the University of Kelaniya, as well as plans for future academic and cultural exchanges. The discussion focused on several important upcoming initiatives, including the 2+2 Joint Undergraduate Programme in International Chinese Language Education, the Chinese Summer Camp scheduled for October, the World Chinese Language Conference in November 2026, and the Southeast Asia Local Chinese Language Teachers Training Programme scheduled for December 2026.
Professor Guan expressed his expectation that, under the leadership and support of Vice Chancellor Professor Fernando, the Confucius Institute would continue to strengthen its role as a platform and bridge connecting Sri Lanka and China. He further emphasized the Institute’s commitment to expanding cooperation between universities in Sri Lanka and China in areas such as talent development, student and faculty exchanges, and international Chinese language education.
He also expressed the hope that the University of Kelaniya and Chongqing Normal University would develop an increasingly substantive and diverse partnership, contributing positively to the advancement of educational and cultural exchange between Sri Lanka and China.
Vice Chancellor Professor Fernando positively acknowledged the achievements and development of the Confucius Institute in recent years, as well as the progress made through the collaboration between the University of Kelaniya and Chongqing Normal University. He expressed his keen interest in further strengthening academic and institutional cooperation between the two universities. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining close communication, deepening mutual cooperation, and working together to bring the development of the Confucius Institute and the partnership between the University of Kelaniya and Chongqing Normal University to a new level.
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