On November 13, Pasquale Mammone, President of the Université d'Artois, led a delegation to Nanjing University. Tan Zhemin, President of Nanjing University and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), met with the delegation at NJU Xianlin Campus.

On behalf of NJU, Tan extended a warm welcome to Pasquale Mammone and his delegation. He pointed out that NJU and the Université d'Artois have had a close cooperative relationship for a long time and resulted in significant achievements across various fields.  The Confucius Institute jointly built by the two universities has become a model of Sino-French cultural exchange.  Currently, NJU is promoting more global engagement initiatives, including the International Fellowship Initiative, the International Research Fund, and the Global Research Immersion Program for Young Scientists. He welcomed the faculty and students of Université d'Artois to participate in these programs.

Pasquale Mammone stated that the Université d’ Artois and NJU have built a profound friendship for over two decades, and the Confucius Institute has played a significant role in Sino-French cultural exchange.

During the meeting, the two sides highly praised Parc Illumination or Ming Yuan (明苑), a Chinese-style garden at the Louvre-Lens, France. With concerted efforts from both sides, the project was officially completed in 2024 after ten-year design and construction. The project marks the first large-scale art installation designed and built by Chinese architects in France, and it is a new symbol of cultural exchange between China and France.

Writer: Wang Yihe

Editor: Zhong Tianjing, Zhang