NCI Co-Director awarded Vice-Chancellor's Medal

Dr Jinrong Meng receiving a Vice-Chancellor's Medal from Prof Sir David Greenaway

12/9/2017

Dr Jinrong Meng, Co-director of the Nottingham Confucius Institute (NCI), recently received a Vice-Chancellor’s Medal in recognition of her exceptional contribution to the development of NCI. The award was presented to her by Professor David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham during NCI’s Model Institute Plaque Unveiling ceremony, which took place on 6th September in the Great Hall, University Park Campus.

The Vice-Chancellors’ Medal is an accolade recognising exceptional achievements made by Nottingham University staff and students. It is a great achievement and one awarded only to a handful of people each year.

Prior to joining NCI as Co-Director in December 2014, she worked as Co-Director for four consecutive years at the Confucius Institute of the University of Auckland, New Zealand. With her extraordinary experience, passion and commitment, Dr Meng has led NCI from strength to strength. Since joining in 2015, the Institute’s achievements have included: the opening of the first Confucius Classroom at the Alderman White School in October 2015 – the second is expected to be launched later this year; the first aspiring young leaders delegation visit to China in September 2015; a headteachers’ delegation visit to China in 2016; two table tennis youth delegation visits to China in 2016 and 2017; the opening of the first and so far only Confucius Institute in Mainland China - NCI Ningbo Branch in 2016.

“I am extremely thrilled and honored to receive the Vice Chancellor’s Medal. The award is not just a recognition of my individual effort, but also an affirmation of joint effort from the Confucius Institute staff both past and present. I am very grateful for continued support from the University of Nottingham, Fudan University and Hanban. None of the achievements over the past decade would be possible without it!” said Dr Meng.

~ENDS~

英国当地时间9月6日上午，在诺丁汉大学特伦特楼（Trent Building）大礼堂举行的诺丁汉大学孔子学院揭牌仪式上，诺丁汉大学校长大卫·格林纳韦教授（Professor Sir David Greenaway）授予诺丁汉大学孔子学院中方院长孟金蓉博士“诺丁汉大学校长奖章”。该奖章旨在颁发给具有突出贡献的教员或学生，孟院长是诺丁汉大学建校以来少数获此殊荣的华人之一。

孟金蓉博士自2010年开始加入孔子学院大家庭，2010-2014年在新西兰的奥克兰孔院担任中方院长，2015年起在诺丁汉大学孔子学院担任中方院长。在孟金蓉院长的带领下，整个诺丁汉孔院团队团结协作，在汉语教学、中国文化推广和学术交流等方面都取得了骄人的成就，2015年12月诺丁汉大学孔院更是获得了孔子学院总部“示范孔院”的荣誉称号。

大卫校长（David）在颁奖词中高度赞赏了孟院长作为孔子学院中方院长，为诺丁汉孔院各项工作的专业化发展设计，对相关项目的开拓性设置，以及第一家孔子课堂的建立、文化工坊的开展以及全英各孔院之间的交流合作等诸多工作上做出了突出的贡献。

孟院长在得知自己意外获得校长奖章后非常感动。获得校长奖章一般是需要经过申请、推荐、评审等各种复杂漫长的程序，可是在宣布她获得这枚奖章之前她并不知情，在宣布她获奖的一刻非常惊愕也百感交集，在事后采访时她显然还没有从获奖的

惊愕中回过神来，“孔子学院工作是需要每个参与者不计得失，全身心投入的一项工作，我先后在两家全球示范孔院担任中方院长工作，这枚奖章无疑是对我七年来孔院工作的最高的奖赏，一切的辛劳、艰难甚至委屈现在都不算什么了”，“这枚奖章不仅仅是对我个人工作的肯定，也是对诺丁汉工作团队十年来最中肯的褒奖，更是对全球中方院长这个岗位最有力的支持，我代表他们由衷地感谢诺丁汉大学，孔院所在大学对中方人员辛勤工作的大力支持和肯定，我想这也许才是最好的示范孔院应有之义”。孟院长表示她非常珍惜这份荣誉，也会在将来的工作中证明这份奖章的份量。