Madam Xu Lin visits Confucius Institute at the University of Pernambuco, Brazil

From July 18 to 19, 2014, Madame Xu Lin, Chief Executive of Confucius Institute Headquarters and Director General of Hanban, paid a visit to the Confucius Institute at the University of Pernambuco, Brazil. In company with Zheng Kejun, Cultural Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Brazil, and Qiao Jianzhen, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Madame Xu attended the working conference and listened to the report on the work of the Confucius Institute, and then took a tour of the Confucius Institute’s teaching and work places.

Director General of Hanban Madame Xu Lin and guests at the working conference

Director General of Hanban Madam Xu Lin giving a speech at the conference

The working conference was chaired by Director of the Office of International Relations of the University of Pernambuco José Guido Corrêa de Araújo. Close to 60 people attended it, including Mr. Ney de Albuquerque Maranh?o, former federal senator and chief advisor of former Brazilian president Fernando Affonso Collor de Mello, as well as representatives of faculty, students, cultural institutions, Chinese citizens in Brazil, Chinese-invested enterprises and several media institutions. The conference began with the performances of students from the Confucius Institute. They sang a merry song Welcome to Recife, which was adapted from one of the 2008 Beijing Olympic songs Welcome to Beijing, and then a famous Chinese song My Love for China. Also, they put on a spectacular Taijiquan show. All these performances were well received by the guests present.

Brazilian students singing a famous Chinese song My Love for China

Rector of the University of Pernambuco Carlos Calado gave a welcome speech and thanked Hanban for its support for and contributions to Chinese language teaching, business communication and cultural transmission at the University of Pernambuco and in northeast Brazil. Cultural Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Brazil Mr. Zheng Kejun expressed his gratitude to the leaders of the University of Pernambuco for their support for the Confucius Institute and said that the Chinese Embassy would continue to enhance cultural exchanges between China and Brazil and increase cultural investment and support in northeast Brazil. On behalf of Director of the Pernambuco Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology, Secretary Claudia mentioned the great achievements made by the Confucius Institute in promoting Chinese language teaching and China-Brazil cultural exchanges in Pernambuco, Recife in particular. She said that the Pernambuco Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology would provide more care and support for the development of the Confucius Institute.

Madame Xu Lin thanked Rector Carlos Calado for his commitment to the growth of the Confucius Institute, and thanked Senator Ney de Albuquerque Maranh?o and leaders & staff of the Pernambuco Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology and the University of Pernambuco for their contributions to the development of the Confucius Institute. Madame Xu emphasized the importance of cultural exchanges between China and Brazil, and said that Hanban would help the Confucius Institute with its local Chinese language teacher training, application for scholarships and the winter/summer camp personnel selection. Madame Xu Lin noted that the Confucius Institute should make northeast Brazil its stronghold, give full play its characteristics and continue its sustainable development so as to train more competent talents to facilitate cultural and economic exchanges between the two countries. After the speech, Madame Xu Lin gave in person the admission notice of Tianjin Foreign Studies University to Ms. Cintia, the first winner of Chinese scholarship at the Confucius Institute.

Director General of Hanban Xu Lin presenting Ms. Cintia with the admission notice of Tianjin Foreign Studies University

The University of Pernambuco presenting local traditional specialties to Madame Xu Lin as gifts

Students from the Confucius Institute at the University of Pernambuco expressing their love for Madame Xu Lin through Chinese characters on a white board

Madame Xu Lin also attended the photo exhibition of the Confucius Institute and had cordial talks with the students. She asked them about the problems encountered in their study and shared their joy of learning Chinese.