The Institute of Global and Public Affairs at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Macau, successfully held a lecture as part of the “IGPA 2025 Lecture Series.” Professor Zeng Jinghan from the Department of Public and International Affairs, City University of Hong Kong, was invited to deliver a talk entitled “Untold Realities of Confucius Institutes: A Director’s Memoir.”
During the lecture, Professor Zeng drew upon his newly published book, Untold Realities of Confucius Institutes: A Director’s Memoir, to share firsthand experiences from his tenure as the Director of the Confucius Institute at Lancaster University in the UK. As a professor of China and international studies serving in a leadership role within a British university, Prof. Zeng reflected on the range of challenges the institute faced between 2019 and 2025. In his talk, he critically engaged with Western media and political criticisms depicting Confucius Institutes as propaganda tools, vehicles of geopolitical influence, or threats to academic freedom.
The discussion session saw active participation from faculty members and students, who exchanged views on operation, governance structures, long‑term sustainability, and the political sensitivities surrounding cultural diplomacy. The event fostered thoughtful dialogue and offered a nuanced understanding of how Confucius Institutes operate within the broader context of China’s evolving soft‑power strategy and global engagement.
2025年10月15日，澳門大學社會科學學院全球與公共事務研究所(IGPA)舉辦IGPA2025系列讲座。香港城市大學公共及國際事務學系曾敬涵教授應邀以 “走進孔子學院”為題發表專題演講。
講座中，曾敬涵教授以其新作《孔子學院院長回憶錄·第一卷：挑戰、爭議與現實》為切入點，向與會師生講述其擔任英國蘭卡斯特大學孔子學院外方院長期間的親身經驗與觀察。作為少數擔任英方院長的中國政治學者，曾教授回顧了2019年至2025年間孔子學院在國際環境中的多重挑戰，並以批判性視角回應西方媒體與政界對孔子學院的諸多質疑，包括外宣工具、地緣政治影響、情報活動及對學術自由受限等問題。
在互動環節中，曾教授與現場師生就孔子學院的治理機制、長遠發展的不確定性及政治因素對文化交流的影響展開深入討論。講座氣氛熱烈，與會者普遍認為該講座有助深化對孔子學院及中國「軟實力」議題的多維理解。
