Bangor University launches Confucius Classrooms
The Confucius Institute at Bangor University celebrated the official launch of its five new Confucius Classrooms this week with representatives of Bangor University, Welsh Government and the Chinese Embassy in attendance alongside local schoolchildren.
The five schools involved in the Confucius Classrooms scheme are located across north Wales and include two local secondary schools, Ysgol Friars in Bangor and Holyhead High School, and a further three primary schools, Our Lady’s School in Bangor, Ysgol Esgob Morgan in St Asaph and Ysgol Hiraddug in Dyserth.
Confucius Classrooms launch
An initiative of China’s cultural agency Hanban, Confucius Classrooms are based within schools and colleges around the world and are intended as local hubs to stimulate and support the innovative teaching and learning of Chinese language and culture across communities.
Commenting on the recent award, Confucius Institute Director, Dr David Joyner, said:
“We are delighted to have secured funding for five of only 60 Confucius Classrooms worldwide. This is a very prestigious award for us, particularly as these are also our first Confucius Classrooms, and we look forward to working with the schools involved as they set out to develop their own Chinese learning centres.”
On Friday 16 June, representatives from each school attended an official launch ceremony at Bangor University in the company of Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, Ken Skates AM and LI Xiaopeng, from the Education Section of the Chinese Embassy. A delegation from the Confucius Institute’s partner university, the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing, also attended as did Councillor Derek Hainge, Mayor or Bangor.
Speaking after the event, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, Ken Skates AM, said:
Ken Skates, Economy Secretary said:
“Confucius Institutes provide an important opportunity for the people, communities, businesses and organisations of North Wales to learn more about modern and classical China.
“The new classrooms provide a valuable opportunity for us to keep building on our long standing cultural and economic links with China and will form an important part of our work to increase our trade links.”
All five schools have been working with Bangor University’s Confucius Institute for some time and, with the new Confucius Classrooms in operation, students and staff will be able to benefit from an expanded programme of Chinese language, cultural learning and exchange. In the long term, it is envisaged that every school in north Wales will have the opportunity to access a Confucius Classroom and benefit from the valuable resources that these hubs can offer.
More information about Bangor University’s Confucius Institute can be found at: www.bangor.ac.uk/confucius-institute.
Publication date: 16 June 2017