Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts, Hon. Dr Mahendra Reddy this week received a delegation from the Confucius Institute Headquarters in Hanban, China and discussed ways to capitalize on the opportunities provided by the institute.
The delegation led by the Deputy Director-General of Hanban, Mr Wang Yongli is pursuing opportunities to widen their scope of service and engage more locals in the teaching and learning of the Chinese language.
The Confucius Institute at the University of the South Pacific has been offering the teaching of Chinese Language to the local and regional students enrolled at the institution. The institution is committed to imparting Chinese knowledge outside China.
Currently, Draiba Primary School and Adi Cakobau School are also taking up this language classes to deepen their understanding about the Chinese culture.
Minister Reddy expressed his appreciation to the group for their initiative and quest to promote their culture.
“Fiji is happy to work with Confucius Institute and train more Fijians to learn the Chinese language. Fiji is always happy to partner with institutions and countries to enhance the stock of knowledge of students and interested learners. We are also keen in securing Confucius writings and journals in our secondary schools to add depth to the learning process of our students,” Minister Reddy said.
“This initiative will also prepare students and interested learners to be multi–lingual and gives them an edge in the competitive labour market we have locally, regionally and globally. This opportunity will also open doors of employment for locals who have keen interest in this area and will be a benefit to both the Confucius Institute and the government of Fiji.”
The head of the Confucius Institute stated the institution was willing to provide scholarships for locals to study at their institution in China to further equip them in learning and later teaching the Chinese language.
“The bilateral understanding established will reap rewarding benefits for both Fiji and China,” Mr Yongli said.
The Confucius Institute has established 487 institutions in 132 countries in the last 10 years.