Confucius Institute in Seychelles |04 October 2019
Chinese language learners receiving their certificates during Friday's activity
A history in commemoration of 4th anniversary
The Confucius Institute Day anniversary was commemorated on September 27 this year at the University of Seychelles (UniSey) where a number of people from both the Chinese and Seychellois communities came together to celebrate the occasion.
During a presentation, the director of the Institute at UniSey, Wang Dongxia, spoke about the history of the Institute, remarking that it has a long way to go, but that it is young and has a lot to accomplish.
It was during this same presentation that she revealed that there are currently 500 Confucius institutes across the world.
With a total of 59 institutes in Africa, this is the area where the Confucius Institute has grown most quickly due to the need for people to learn the Chinese language.
The institute in Seychelles was first established in 2012; back then it was known as the Confucius Classroom, before being unveiled for operation in 2014.
It was in 2015 that the Confucius Classroom was upgraded to Confucius Institute. Today, it has grown to be the place where Seychellois can get closer to China and to learn the Chinese language.
With a collection of over 3,400 books, the institute also offers different types of courses and levels for learning the Chinese language; to date, many local schools and other organisations including the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) and the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) have benefitted from these courses.
Over the last four years, the Confucius Institute at UniSey has also hosted a series of cultural activities, workshops and festivals, including workshops on how to make the famous Chinese dumpling; Spring, Mid-Autumn and Lantern Festivals.
A number of exchanges between China and Seychelles have also taken place, with delegations from both countries being given the opportunity to visit the other’s homeland.
It was during the celebration on Friday at UniSey that another milestone was achieved by the Institute, with the unveiling of its alumni association whose members were due to meet later that same evening to begin discussing a programme of activities.
The presence of the institute in Seychelles has not gone unnoticed by the local media houses, including the Seychelles NATION and TODAY in Seychelles newspapers, as well as the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) who have all provided coverage of the many events and activities hosted by the institute.
It is ideal to conclude with some profound words shared by Mrs Wang during her presentation at the recent celebration of the Confucius Institute anniversary day.
“Without the University of Seychelles, our friends and all the Chinese learners, we cannot do anything. We want to grow bigger and stronger together. We are still on the road but we want to be with you, together on this road.”
