On the afternoon of April Eleventh, Wesleyan College a well-known women’s college in Macon, Georgia, witnessed the inauguration of Guangzhou University-Wesleyan College Confucius Institute. More than 100 distinguished figures from China and the United States attended the ceremony, including the delegation of Hanban led by Director Ms. Xu Lin, Mr. Zhang Chuanbing, Vice Councilor General of Consulate General of China in Houston, Ms. Washington, Deputy General Counsel of Department of Commerce, Mr. Robert Reichert, Mayor of Macon, Mr. Xu Naixing, Director of Eduction of University of California, Hacienda Heights, Doctor Qu Shaobing, Director General of Education Bureau of Guangzhou, Doctor Yu Jianshe, President of Guangzhou University, Doctor Xu Junzhong, Vice President of Guangzhou University.
The inauguration ceremony was held in Porter Hall with Doctor Vivian Fowler, Vice President of Wesleyan College as the moderator. Ms. Xu Lin in her keynote speech said building a Confucius institute in Weslyan College where the Soong Sister used to go to school was a dream came true as she had had reverie to the Soong Sisters ever since she was young. She would do her part to help the Guangzhou University- Wesleyan College Confucius institute to become the best one in the world. President Ruth Knox also stated that the Confucius Institute is of special significance to the university, “we can offer things that other parts of the world can’t offer. The Soong Sisters received education here and went on the change the world. Like other alumni of Wesleyan, they proved that educated women can be the role model of an era. Mr. Qu Shaobing and President Yu Jianshe also expressed that the Confucius institute will further facilitate the educational and cultural exchanges between Guangzhou and Macon, Guangzhou University and Wesleyan College. At the end of the ceremony, Ms. Xu Lin, President Yu Jianshe, President Ruth Knox, Ms. Washington unveiled the plaque together marking the inauguration of the Confucius institute. In the event followed the ceremony, a show was put on by students of Guangzhou University and Wesleyan College.
The Confucius Institute will organize a variety of educational and cultural exchanges programs, including language lessons, cultural lessons, summer camp programs and festival celebrations and exchanges between students and teachers of the two universities, aiming at meeting the demands of the college students, secondary school students and the local community. The syllabus of the Confucius Institute will become an integral part of that of Wesleyan College. As President Knox said, the Confucius Institute will bring the brilliant Chinese civilization to Wesleyan under the help of distinguished figures of China and US, especially the leaders of the two universities.
Written by: Jiang Xiaoping, Confucius Institute of Guangzhou University-Wesleyan College
Edited by: Ye Qing
Source: GU News (Chinese)
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