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The event took place in the context of the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 China (Qufu) International Confucius Culture Festival and the 19th Confucius Prize for Literacy Award Ceremony. During this prestigious event, the three laureates from Egypt, Indonesia, and Nigeria of this year’s UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy were recognized for their outstanding contributions to literacy. 

Organized by the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO in cooperation with the Shandong Provincial Education Department, the event was a lively celebration that perfectly aligned with the theme of this year's International Literacy Day “Promoting Multilingual Education: Literacy for Mutual Understanding and Peace”, highlighting the commitment to literacy as a tool for global cohesion and social progress.

The ceremony featured a video message from Ms Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, on behalf of Ms Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, who extended her congratulations and emphasized the significance of the laureates' contributions to education. In her message, Ms. Giannini emphasized, "The International Literacy Day celebrations have shown that policies and actions are needed to keep up with these multi-layered transformations, in order to ensure, through an inclusive access to education, a fairer and just society for all." 

During the study visit, the laureates delved into the rich cultural heritage of Qufu with visits to the Confucius Temple, took part in the Grand Ceremony of Worship of Confucius, and visited Qufu Normal University. This gave them valuable insights into the influence of Confucian philosophy on modern education.

Prior to the visit, the three laureates had been awarded the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy at the UNESCO International Literacy Day 2024 Awards Ceremony in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on 9 and 10 September, together with three laureates of the UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prizes from Austria, Ghana and Panama.

The laureates were as follows:

• The 'Illiteracy Eradication Project' by Mansoura University from Egypt.
• The 'Sokola literacy education for indigenous Indonesians' programme by the Sokola Institute from Indonesia.
• The ‘F�����ٰհ�������' programme by the Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative from Nigeria.