Celebrating 10 years of the Cardiff Confucius Institute

The organisation that promotes Chinese language and culture in Wales celebrated it's ten year anniversary this November in Cardiff.

The Cardiff Confucius Institute (CCI), which is supported by Hanban – China’s Office of Chinese Language Council International, was launched in 2008 and is a partnership between Xiamen University and Cardiff University.

To celebrate this milestone anniversary, a series of activities were designed to reach a wide range of stakeholders from across the education sector in Wales.

The week of celebrations involved working with the local community, schools and students and staff of the CCI. Highlights of the week were an exhibition at the School of Modern Languages which told the story of the CCI over the past 10 years and showcased artwork from CCI learners, workshops on traditional Chinese medicine for school pupils in Rhymney and Crickhowell, a trip to KTV in Cardiff for adult Chinese language learners, and a gala dinner welcoming high profile guests from Cardiff University, Xiamen University, Welsh Government and the Chinese Embassy in London.

Over the past decade, Cardiff Confucius Institute has played a key role in providing Chinese teaching and cultural activities across Wales and for the University. The Institute has enabled Chinese language and culture to become more accessible in Welsh primary and secondary schools, and has established itself as the national coordinator for schools activities for the three Confucius Institutes in Wales, working closely with Welsh Government and the British Council to achieve this. Celebrating Chinese culture has also been a central mission for the Confucius Institute which has worked, over the years, in partnerships with many different local organisations. In more recent years, as the Institute has grown in size, it has developed an additional strand of activity aimed at supporting University staff and students in creating more opportunities to participate in China related experiences.

Professor Colin Riordan, Vice Chancellor and President of Cardiff University said that he appreciated “the great efforts made by the Institute’s staff members from both Wales and China, from Cardiff University and from Xiamen University, who jointly contribute to its success”

He also said that he appreciated “the efforts of the Welsh Government, the education sector in Wales and the many organisations across the country who support the work of the Cardiff Confucius Institute. The work of the Cardiff Confucius Institute is a prime example of a strategic partnership in action” and he hoped to see the continued success of the Institute for many years to come.