Confucius Institute rewards competition winners and Chinese language learners   |25 September 2021

Awardees in a souvenir photograph with guests (Photo: Jude Morel)

To mark the Confucious Institute Day 2021, the Confucius Institute of the University of Seychelles (UniSey) organised a ceremony on Thursday afternoon to reward winners of the Chinese Bridgesong competition, and Chinese language learners.

In her opening address, Chinese director of the Institute Wang Donxia spoke about the various challenges the Covid-19 has brought for the institute, and the various ways in which it has had to adapt, to deliver on its mandate.

“From 2019, the pandemic spreading all over the world greatly influenced the normal teaching and operation of the Confucius Institutes, our Confucius Institute is not immune. From then on, we have been thinking of challenges and the ways to meet them. It is hard time for the field of international Chinese to give teaching in a traditional way. More coordination, cooperation, technician, understanding, encouragement and teaching methods which should be adapted to the new environment are needed,” she said.

“Luckily, at UniSey, we have the pandemic environment-friendly team for Confucius Institute’s operation and teaching management, we have the loca director and Vice-Chancellor Joelle Perreau who understands and supports the work of the Confucius Institute and has a foresight of future development. We have supportive partners in different teaching points. We have a small but very united, active, and optimistic Confucius Institute Team. During the hard year, we invest more than the Chinese teaching fruits and experiences, but a joint effort to actively deal and solve difficulties in hard times,” Ms Donxia noted.

Twelve were presented with their certificates for the Chinese song competition, namely, Olivia Marday, Andria Anthat, Erna Athanasius, Jasmine Hoareau, Shamad Japha, Helen Ma, Mary-Vine Pierre, Aurelie Bradburn, Nishreen Kilindo, Erica Niole, Ina Cedras and Corrina Cadeau.

On account of public health measures in place, the institute was not able to present certificates to Chinese language learners over the course of last year. As such, they were presented to class representatives, along with those for this year, during Thursday’s ceremony.

Laurent Valentin, Prathiksha Kumar, Edward Piper, Laura De Carli, Nellie Azemia, Fangyi Liao, Joanna Sabury Philippe Souris, Bernard Shamlaye, Aswin Sathitamoorthy, Adam  Sham-Mane, Roy Assaf, Sharon Quatre all received their certificates after having successfully completed the Level 1 programme.

Laura De Carli and Prathiksha Kumar were awarded their Level 2 certificates, while Denise Bonne, June Joubert, Rebecca Lee Kim Koon were given their Level 3 certificates. Level 4 certificates were handed to Denise Bonne, Mary-Vine Pierre, Rebecca Lee Kim Koon.

Winners of the song competition then interpreted their renditions of the winning songs.

From 2013, the Confucius Institute at the UniSey has covered eight years of Chinese language teaching in Seychelles.

Laura Pillay