On September 23, Liu Yuxiang, the president of the Shanghai Municipal Educational Examinations Authority, led a delegation to visit the UCD Confucius Institute and Irish Institute for Chinese Studies. Both sides engaged in an in-depth exchange regarding educational systems and examination structures.
Professor Liming Wang, the director of UCD Confucius Institute and Irish Institute for Chinese Studies, accompanied the delegation on a tour of the Confucius Institute building and gave a brief introduction to the history of the two institutes. He highlighted their achievements and key experiences in promoting Chinese language education in Ireland.
Following this, Dr Caitríona Osborne, a lecturer at UCD Irish Institute for Chinese Studies, presented an overview of Ireland’s education system and its national examination framework. The delegation expressed great interest in the unique Transition Year programme in the Irish education system. Both sides explored the role of this programme in students' academic, social, and personal development, particularly its benefits in helping students plan their academic careers, enhance life skills, and build confidence.
The discussion also focused on the standardization of examination grading by the Irish State Examinations Commission (SEC). Caitríona further introduced how Chinese, as a foreign language subject, was officially incorporated into Ireland’s Leaving Certificate exams in 2022, allowing students to choose Chinese as one of their subjects. The introduction of Chinese aims to meet the growing demand for Chinese language learning and foster a deeper understanding of Chinese culture.
Following this, Ms Jill O'Mahony, the director of UCD’s Admissions Office, briefed the delegation on UCD’s undergraduate admissions policies and application process. She highlighted the operations of Ireland's Central Applications Office (CAO), which issues offers based on students' Leaving Certificate results (equivalent to college entrance exam scores), course preferences, and available seats in each program. This process ensures transparency and a systematic approach, assisting Irish students in applying to and entering higher education institutions. Director O'Mahony also spoke about the diverse backgrounds of UCD students and various pathways for admission.
President Liu Yuxiang and the delegation expressed their heartfelt thanks to Proessor Wang for his warm reception and thorough preparations. They highly praised the fruitful outcomes of this exchange. This visit deepened mutual understanding and cooperation between China and Ireland in the field of education. Both sides expressed their commitment to continuing efforts to promote further collaboration in education and culture, aiming to provide students with better learning resources and international development opportunities.
上海考试院院长刘玉祥及代表团访问都柏林大学中国研究院
9月23日，上海考试院院长刘玉祥率代表团访问了都柏林大学孔子学院，双方就教育体系和考试制度进行了深入交流。
首先，都柏林大学中国研究院兼孔子学院院长王黎明教授陪同代表团成员参观了孔院大楼，简要介绍了两院的历史及其在促进爱尔兰当地中文教育方面的成就和主要经验。
接着，都柏林大学中国研究院讲师Caitríona Osborne介绍了爱尔兰的教育体系及国家考试制度。代表团对爱尔兰教育体系中特有的过渡年（Transition Year）表现出极大兴趣。双方探讨了过渡年在学生的学术、社会和个人发展中的作用，尤其是在帮助学生制定学术规划、提升生活技能以及建立自信方面的诸多益处。
双方还重点研讨了爱尔兰国家考试委员会（SEC）在考试评分中的标准化处理方式。Caitríona 进一步介绍到，中文作为外语科目自2022年正式纳入爱尔兰Leaving Certificate高考体系，学生可以选择中文作为其考试科目之一。引入中文旨在满足日益增长的中文学习需求，并促进学生对中国文化的理解。
随后，都柏林大学招生办主任Jill O’Mahony向代表团介绍了都柏林大学的本科招生政策和申请流程。她重点讲解了爱尔兰中央申请办公室（CAO）的运作机制。该办公室根据学生离校证书成绩（即高考成绩）、课程优先级顺序及每门课程的可用名额发放录取通知，确保申请过程透明化、系统化，帮助爱尔兰学生顺利申请和进入高等教育机构。O’Mahony主任还介绍了都柏林大学学生的多元化背景以及不同的入学申请路径。
刘玉祥院长及代表团成员对王院长的热情接待和精心准备表示衷心感谢，充分肯定和高度评价了本次交流成果。这次访问加深了中爱双方在教育领域的理解与合作。双方均表示，将继续推动两国在教育和文化领域的深度合作，共同为学生提供更优质的学习资源和国际化的发展机会。