Subsidized by Confucius Institute Headquarters/Hanban, advanced research program of “Understanding China”, jointly sponsored by Office of the Confucius Institutes/The Multilingual Base for International Promotion of Chinese Language, International Institute of Chinese Studies and the International Student Office at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), was successfully held at BFSU during July 12-25, 2015, providing a two-week training for 15 students from Barcelona, Spain.
Over 40 people participated the opening ceremony, including: Yan Guohua, Vice President of BFSU, Zhang Xiping, President of the International Institute of Chinese Studies, Zhang Xiaohui, Director of Office of Confucius Institutes, Li Bing, director of International Student Office, Professor Liang Yan and Gu Jun from the International Institute of Chinese Studies, Professor Ren Dayuan and lecturers from Chinese Academy of Arts, all faculty and officers of this program and volunteers. Mr. Yan Guohua, on behalf of BFSU, extended warm welcome to Spanish students from afar and hoped they can become friendly messengers for China and Spain in cultural exchanges.
This program is the first of its kind sponsored by the International Institute of Chinese Studies under BFSU, aiming at serving the national strategy of “going global”, promoting Chinese culture by telling China stories and spreading China’s voices based on past experiences in oversea Chinese education and cultural studies. The program proceeded in English with creative teaching ideas and methodology, namely the combination of learning and practice. Lessons and lectures on China’s history, culture, language, arts and contemporary politics, economy, society, diplomacy and education are offered; meanwhile, students had the chance to visit places of interests such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, Yuanmingyuan, Mei Lanfang Memorial Museum and Lu Xun’s Former Residence, which gave them an in-depth experience of exploring extensive and profound Chinese culture, meeting with diversified Chinese people and understanding the fast-changing Chinese society. At the same time, all the students also took HSK Test to examine their Chinese language.
On the closing ceremony, students shared their thoughts about this impressive trip in Beijing and their stories with China, expressing strong wishes to come here again. Zhang Xiaohui, Director of Office of Confucius Institutes, highly appreciated the achievements of this program, valued its success, experience and its unique training mode, and expressed hope to enlarge the program scale to show a true, complete and diversified China to the outside world and make more contributions to cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and other countries.
