About the Institute
The Confucius Institute in Liège was established in October 2006 through a partnership between Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and the University of Liège. Since January 29 , 2024, the Belgian partner institution has been the Belgian-Chinese Exchange Association (AEBC). Located in Liège, the capital of the Province of Liège in the French-speaking Walloon Region of Belgium, it is the only Confucius Institute serving the French-speaking community in Belgium.
As of the end of 2025, the Institute has enrolled a cumulative total of 611 students and operates 8 teaching sites across the city of Liège.
Programs and Activities
Chinese Language Teaching & Proficiency Tests
The Institute offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced Chinese courses for university students, primary and secondary school students, working professionals, and corporate and government personnel. Its curriculum includes general Chinese, Business Chinese, HSK exam preparation, and Chinese culture courses. Eight teaching sites serve the greater Liège area, with 611 students enrolled in the 2025 academic year.
The Institute has consistently delivered a hybrid online and offline teaching model. Specialized elective workshops—in Chinese theater, Chinese cuisine and Chinese music—enrich the standard curriculum and have become popular offerings among local learners.
A Chinese Language Proficiency Testing Center was established on February 15, 2026, with its inaugural examination session scheduled for May 16, 2026. Nearly 40 candidates registered for the first sitting.
Faculty Development & Academic Research
The Institute organizes regular training sessions and pedagogical seminars for local Chinese-language teachers, aimed at strengthening teaching competency and professional development. Academic activities include research seminars on Chinese opera and performing arts, contributing to the study of Chinese history, literature, and philosophy in the French-speaking world. Institute faculty have participated in the development and publication of the Chinese language textbook Panda Chinese (《盼达汉语》).
Cultural Programs
The Institute hosts more than 20 cultural events annually, with total attendance exceeding 20,000. Core programs include the Chinese New Year celebration, concerts for International Chinese Language Day and Confucius Institute Day, the “Chinese Bridge” Chinese proficiency competition, lectures on Chinese calligraphy, painting, and traditional Chinese medicine, joint exhibitions by Belgian and Chinese artists, and thematic film weeks.
The Institute maintains long-term partnerships with local museums, universities, government agencies, and Chinese-invested enterprises to advance Sino-Belgian cultural exchange.
Signature Initiatives
The Institute has developed a suite of “Chinese +” courses that integrate language learning with specialized disciplines: Chinese + Business, Chinese + Calligraphy & Painting, and Chinese + Tai Chi. In the performing arts, the Institute collaborates with the Royal Conservatory of Music of Liège to co-produce concerts that blend Chinese and Western musical traditions, creating a distinctive platform for cross-cultural artistic dialogue.
Looking Ahead
The Institute will continue to deepen Chinese language teaching, expand partnerships with universities across Belgium, and develop the Chinese Language Proficiency Testing Center into a full-service assessment hub. Plans also include launching a branded summer camp program to engage younger learners and broaden the Institute’s community outreach. These efforts aim to strengthen academic, cultural, and research exchange between Belgium and China.
Contact
Chinese Director: ZHANG Yingxuan
Email: aebcasbl@hotmail.com
Website: https://ci.cn/site/3041002000/jj
Phone: +32 468 366 536
Address: Quai Mativa 37, 4020 Liège, Belgium
