On April 20, the 2026 'International Chinese Language Day' and the 'Poetry Connects the World' launch ceremony, jointly organized by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) of the Ministry of Education and Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT), was grandly held at BUPT's Xitucheng Road Campus. Attendees included Sun Yao, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee and former Vice Minister of Education; Kourou Sophianou, Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to China; BUPT Chairwoman Xu Mei; and BUPT President Xu Kun.
Diplomats from Barbados, Egypt, New Zealand, and other countries, representatives of international language and cultural institutions including Alliance Française, officials from relevant ministries and commissions including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), the National Immigration Administration, and the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, as well as representatives from universities, social organizations, and international students in China, totaling over 700 guests, attended the event. Anatoly Tozik, President of the Belarus-China Friendship Association and former Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus; representatives from international organizations including UNESCO and the African Union Commission; officials from the education authorities of Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, and other countries; foreign envoys; experts and scholars; Confucius Institute faculty and students; and overseas Chinese language learners sent congratulatory video messages. The event was co-hosted by Wang Tianyi, a student from BUPT's School of Computer Science, and Jitrakarn Wongvorachat, a Thai undergraduate majoring in Chinese Language.
Amid warm applause, Sun Yao, Xu Mei, Yu Tianqi, Deputy Director of the CLEC, Zhao Lingshan, Vice Chairperson and Secretary-General of the China International Education Foundation (CIEF), and international guests jointly took the stage to launch the 2026 'International Chinese Language Day' and 'Poetry Connects the World — a Global Celebration of Classical Chinese Poetry.'
In his keynote address, Sun Yao noted that in his reply letter to teachers and students of a Chinese language class at a French international school, President Xi Jinping pointed out that the Chinese language carries 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, and that the small square characters embody great historical wisdom. As one of the official languages of the United Nations, Chinese attracts an increasing number of learners and users with its profound cultural connotations, elegant writing system, and important contemporary value. Chinese poetry is an important pathway for learning the Chinese language and approaching China. With Chinese as a bridge and poetry as a medium, this event provides a platform for friends from all countries to connect, build friendships, and learn from one another.
Sun Yao pointed out that the changes in the world, the times, and history are unfolding in unprecedented ways, and the role of language in enhancing understanding, deepening mutual trust, and promoting people-to-people bonds has become increasingly prominent. Looking ahead, China will uphold the principles of openness, inclusiveness, cooperation, and mutual benefit, and advance the localized, digitally intelligent, integrated, and branded development of Chinese language education, better supporting the international community in providing quality Chinese language education.
In his address, President Xu Kun noted that as a high-level research university distinguished by information technology, BUPT attaches great importance to the empowerment of educational transformation and cultural exchange through intelligent technologies. The university has actively explored large-scale, personalized smart learning innovations and created immersive, scenario-based language acquisition experiences, infusing scientific and technological vitality into new paradigms for international Chinese language education and new forms of cultural dissemination. He expressed that BUPT stands ready to join hands with global partners, seize the opportunities presented by digital-intelligent transformation, and accelerate the development of a new ecosystem for international Chinese language education adapted to the intelligent era — making Chinese a bridge of linguistic connectivity, mutual understanding, and civilizational exchange for learners worldwide, and contributing wisdom and strength to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
During the event, guests visited BUPT's Future Learning Building, experiencing the latest practices in how digital-intelligent technologies are empowering educational reform, including the command center and smart classrooms, and personally exploring the limitless possibilities that technology can bring to future Chinese language learning. As a leading Chinese university in information technology, BUPT wove the innovative integration of AI with Chinese language education and cultural dissemination throughout the event, giving this year's 'International Chinese Language Day' a distinctive technological character.
BUPT elements featured at the event
On the launch ceremony stage, BUPT students showcased their talents. More than ten international students from BUPT participated in the performance *Sand Painting: Dreams and Poetry*, where their fingertips met robot mechanical fingers under the spotlight — a fusion of technology and the humanities that opened a new chapter of human-AI collaboration in international Chinese language education.
As a highlight of the event, BUPT curated a series of activities under the theme 'One Exhibition, One Lecture, One Poetry Bazaar.' Through a themed exhibition, a technology lecture, and a digital poetry bazaar, the university fully demonstrated its unique advantages and innovative vitality in the field of AI-empowered international Chinese language education, allowing guests to experience the breadth and depth of Chinese culture through immersive engagement.
The "Orient Reimagined through Intelligence" themed exhibition was curated by Professor Huang Yue's team from the School of Digital Media and Design Arts. Through over a dozen bilingual Chinese-English AIGC short films and AR interactive picture books, it systematically presented the creative transformation of Chinese culture in the digital-intelligence era across four dimensions: color, poetry, cultural artifacts, and intangible cultural heritage.
The technology lecture "When Chinese Meets Large Language Models" was delivered by Associate Professor Chen Guang from the School of Artificial Intelligence, exploring frontier topics including how large language models "understand" the civilizational logic behind Chinese characters and AI-assisted Chinese language teaching, offering a dialogue that combined academic depth with humanistic warmth for Chinese and international youth.
The "Poetry Bazaar: Encounter with the Poetry Immortal" was created by Associate Professor Chen Keliang's team from the School of Artificial Intelligence. Featuring poetry-themed interactive challenges, it combined the "Poetry Immortal" with digital avatars, allowing audience members to engage in poetry recitation and verse completion games with digital avatars portraying ancient poets.
In addition, a variety of colorful activities were held at the venue, attracting Chinese and international guests to participate and experience the charm of the Chinese language and culture and the beauty of traditional Chinese culture.
Themed "Chinese: Sparking Colorful Dreams," the 2026 "International Chinese Language Day" and "Global Chinese Poetry Gathering" launch ceremony not only provided a platform for exchange between Chinese and international youth, but also fully showcased BUPT's unique advantages and innovative vitality in AI-empowered international Chinese language education, making a positive contribution to promoting cultural exchange and mutual learning between China and the world.
