On the afternoon of July 10, Zaozhuang University hosted a reception at its Xuecheng Campus for delegates to the Academic Conference on Esperanto Education and the 59th ILEI Congress.

The reception was attended by Alessandra Madella, vice president of ILEI; Dmitrij Sevcenko, editor-in-chief ofEsperanto, the official magazine of the Universal Esperanto Association (UEA); and François Le Jacomo, secretary-general of the International Esperanto Academy and a member of the UEA Board. Esperantists from Russia, Germany, France, Japan, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Burundi, Mongolia, Spain, and other countries also attended. Chinese guests included Chen Ji, director of the Esperanto Division of the Asia-Pacific Center of China International Communications Group and secretary-general of the China Esperanto League (CEL); Yang Huaiguang, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Shandong Province; and Yu Jian, a second-level investigator in the International Communication Division of the Publicity Department of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee. University leaders Gao Feng, Cong Hailin, Chu Fumin and Yan Xin were also present. The reception was chaired by Cong Hailin, deputy secretary of the CPC Zaozhuang University Committee and president ofZaozhuangUniversity.

Gao Feng delivered a welcome address on behalf of theuniversity’s faculty and students. He noted that Zaozhuang University is located in the hometown of Mozi and is known as the “Canal Capital.” It is the only undergraduate institution in China to offer a systematic Esperanto program. The University is also home to the world’s largest Esperanto-themed museum by exhibition area, with more than 67,000 items from 26 countries and regions. The university’s Global Esperanto Information and Culture Research Center has been included among Shandong’s foreign-affairs research and development think tanks. The University has also made notable progress in international education and the development of research platforms. Gao said that the decision to hold the conference at Zaozhuang University reflected the international Esperanto community’s strong recognition of the University’s achievements in Esperanto education and international exchange. He added that the University would take the event as an opportunity to further develop Esperanto education and academic exchange, expand cooperation in joint talent training, academic publications, and international seminars, and work with partners around the world to advance Esperanto education.

During the reception, Alessandra Madella and Sun Mingxiao, a specialist in Esperanto museum development, briefed participants on preparations for the conference. The guests spoke highly of the preparations and exchanged views on Esperanto education, talent cultivation and international cooperation. They also commended the University’s achievements in developing its Esperanto program, preserving Esperanto culture through its museum, and promoting international academic exchange.

Following the reception, the participants visited the Alumni Grove on the Xuecheng Campus, where they planted a commemorative tree and unveiled a commemorative stone for the conference. The stone is inscribed with “Commemorative Tree of the 59th Congress of the International League of Esperanto Teachers.” The memorial marks this major event in the international Esperanto community and symbolizes the deep roots, flourishing growth, and enduring vitality of Esperanto education.

Jointly organized by ILEI and Zaozhuang University, the conference will be held under the theme “Professional Talent Development in Esperanto and the Preservation of Esperanto Culture.” Founded in 1949, ILEI is a non-governmental organization affiliated with UNESCO and UEA. This is the second time that the congress has been held in China, following the 2012 congress in Kunming.

The conference will officially open on the morning of July 11 and run for three days. Its program will include an opening ceremony, keynote speeches, academic seminars, an Esperanto proficiency test, Esperanto training, an ethnic cultural evening, Esperanto microfilm screenings and a closing ceremony. Combining academic exchange with cultural outreach, the conference aims to deepen communication and promote mutual learning among Chinese and international Esperanto speakers.

The application to host the conference received formal approval from the People’s Government of Shandong Province. As of July 10, 177 Esperanto speakers from 23 countries had registered for the conference. The conference will provide a high-level platform for academic exchange among Esperanto educators and researchers worldwide, further promote Esperanto education and intercultural exchange, and contribute, through language, to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Text and photos: International Exchange Office (School of International Education)

Editor: Ge Xiaoxia

Reviewer: Yan Xin