On 10 December 2016, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at UNSW Sydney, Associate Professor Junfang Xi, was honoured with the 2016 Confucius Institute Individual Performance Excellence Award at the 11th Confucius Institute Conference in Kunming. In recognition of her outstanding talents and leadership in managing the Confucius Institute at UNSW, Junfang Xi was presented this esteemed award by Vice Premier of the State Council, Liu Yandong.
Associate Professor Junfang Xi has been instrumental in the development of the Confucius Institute at UNSW. Under her leadership, the first non-public Confucius Classroom in New South Wales was established, the number of Confucius Classrooms grew from zero to eight, and the team of volunteer Chinese teachers to 11. The number of registered students taught by the
Confucius Institute at UNSW, its Confucius Classrooms and Affiliated Teaching Bases has also considerably expanded from 500 to over 3600, and non-registered students from 0 to over 900.
Among her many achievements in promoting Chinese education, Junfang Xi most notably established the popular Chinese Language Spectacular. She has also actively initiated and participated in high-level visits and receptions, including Chinese First Lady, Madame Peng Liyuan’s visit to the Confucius Classroom at Ravenswood School for Girls, as well as the return visit by the
students in Beijing.
Liu Yandong, Vice Premier of the State Council, presents Junfang Xi with the prestigious award