2018 Pre-job Training for Volunteers of Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) Selected for African and European Confucius Institutes Officially Kicks off

On December 25th, the opening ceremony of 2018 pre-job training for volunteers of the Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) selected for African and European Confucius Institutes was held at Xiang’an campus, Xiamen University. Zhan Xinli, Vice President of Xiamen University, Fan Li, Secretary of CPC General Branch of the Office of Confucius Institute and the Southern Base of Confucius Institute Headquarters of Xiamen University, and Geng Hu, Vice Director of the Office of Confucius Institute and the Southern Base of Confucius Institute Headquarters of Xiamen University as well as 160 trainees attended the activity. The event was chaired by Mao Tongwen, Office Director of Confucius Institute and the Southern Base of Confucius Institute Headquarters of Xiamen University.

Mao Tongwen presiding over the ceremony

At the ceremony, Zhan delivered a keynote speech entitled “Four Spirits and Volunteer Service of Xiamen University”, in which she noted that Xiamen University attaches great importance to internationalization and the work of the Confucius Institute. Currently, among “Double First-Class” universities, Xiamen University has organized the most Confucius Institutes: 16 Confucius Institutes and 47 Confucius Classrooms in 13 countries around the world. At this year’s Confucius Institute Conference, Xiamen University is awarded the title of “Outstanding Confucius Institute Chinese Partner” for the fourth time. Subsequently, she focused on introducing the connotation of patriotism, revolution, self-improvement and science, all of which represent the spirit of Xiamen University. Zhan said she hoped that with the training process, trainees will keep the “four spirits” of Xiamen University in their minds and contribute their efforts to the international promotion of Chinese language and improvement of the cultural soft power of the country.

Zhan Xinli making a speech

In his speech, Geng Hu explained the aims and modes of the training and introduced the training arrangements and precautions of the base.

Geng Hu making a speech

Zhang Mengting delivering a speech

Zhang Mengting from Lanzhou University spoke as the student representative. She introduced the story of Yan Na from Lanzhou University, the author of “The Blooming Flower of Hanyu”, expressed her sense of pride and responsibility as a volunteer Chinese language teacher. By sharing her story with Shen Daya, a female major of Congo, and Li Can, a Sudanese girl, she admitted frankly that the African people’s spirit of learning Chinese is the driving force for her to promote Chinese. She said that she will certainly carry forward the volunteer spirit of “dedication, friendliness, mutual assistance and progress”. She will never forget why she started and keep moving forward, so as to bring the long-standing and brilliant Chinese civilization to the world and successfully accomplish the sacred missions entrusted by the motherland.

Group photo

At last, Mao put forward his expectations for the trainees that everyone would realize the transformation from students to teachers through the six-week training, fulfill their missions and go to teach in countries in Africa and Europe, so as to set up a spiritual high-speed train between Chinese and African people as well as that between Chinese and European people.