People

Find out more about the people that make up the Confucius Institute.

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  Dr Deljana Iossifova, Director

  Deljana is a Senior Lecturer in Urban Studies and joined the CI in 2017. Having spent a significant time living and working in China, she aims to make the CI a resource for everyone wishing to learn more about the Chinese language and culture.

  View academic profile

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  Dr Yanqiao Dong, Chinese Director

  Dr. Yanqiao Dong joined Manchester CI in 2023. She is Senior Programme Officer at the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation at Beijing Normal University. With an academic background in education, Yanqiao has extensive experience in university administration, especially in international affairs, international Chinese education and Confucius Institute affairs.

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  Ms Karen Wang, Deputy Director

  Karen moved from China to the UK in 1996. She oversaw the administrative operation of the first overseas degree programme in Singapore and currently contributes to the strategic direction and operational priorities of the Manchester CI.

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  Ms Lucy Yang (Maternity Leave), Senior Language Tutor and Teaching Co-ordinator

  A Senior Language Tutor and Teaching Coordinator at the Manchester CI, Lucy has been teaching Mandarin for over 10 years in China and the UK, sharing her expertise with Mandarin teachers from various UK CIs. Her research focuses on Mandarin pedagogy in the UK, teacher training and classroom ICT use.

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  Dr Yunling Yu, Senior Language Tutor (Maternity Cover)

  Yunling is an associate professor at her home university, the Harbin Institute of Technology. She specialises in Second Language Acquisition, Language Pedagogy, Innovative Curriculum Design and Intercultural Communication. A devoted practitioner, she has extensive experience teaching a wide range of learners. She has been widely published in peer-reviewed journals and presented her work at international conferences.

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  Nóra Blascsók, Marketing and Events Officer

  Nóra joined the Confucius Institute in September 2023. Her role focuses on marketing the CI’s language courses and promoting and organising cultural events. She also manages the CI’s online presence and helps build new partnerships. Prior to joining CI, Nóra has had a career working in the non-profit and higher education sectors. She is passionate about intercultural communication and the arts and speaks five languages.

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  Dr Tessa Harris, Support Officer

  Tessa joined the CI in the summer of 2022. As the Administrative Officer, her main role is to organise Mandarin course registrations, HSK and YCT exams and cultural workshops, as well as general duties in the day-to-day life of the CI.

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  Ge Yang (Norah), Chinese Language Tutor

  Norah comes from Xi’an, an ancient and beautiful city in Northwest China. With a strong interest in intercultural communication and Chinese language teaching, she joined the CI in September 2023. Her research focuses on Chinese teaching methodology. She enjoys Chinese calligraphy and Hanfu.

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  Jingwei Lyu (Chloe), Chinese Language Tutor

  Chloe joined the CI in September 2023. She comes from Nanjing, a city located in Eastern China famous for its history. Her research focuses on multimedia teaching technology and teaching methodology. With a strong interest in different cultures, she is committed to fostering intercultural understanding and communication.

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  Zhongyu Fan (Zoe), Chinese Language Tutor

  Zoe joined the CI in September 2023. She comes from Inner Mongolia, a province stretching across the northern part of China. She is interested in Chinese Linguistics and her research focuses on Chinese teaching methodology.

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  Wang Ru (Rue), Chinese Language Tutor

  Rue comes from Ningxia, a beautiful province in Northwest China and known for its desert and wine. Rue joined the CI in September 2023. Her research focuses on teaching contemporary Chinese culture.

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  Miaoqing Zhang (Olive), Chinese Language Tutor

  Olive became a part of the CI team in September 2023. She is from Shenyang, a beautiful city in Northeast China. Olive's research focuses on Chinese teaching methodology. In addition to her academic pursuits, Olive has a fondness for traditional Chinese instruments, which she both plays and appreciates.

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  Jiaqi Li (Jokul)

  Jokul comes from Luoyang, a famous historical city in Northern China and has joined the CI in September 2023. She is interested in Chinese traditional arts and language learning and teaching.

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  Liu Peiyue (Yvette), Chinese Language Tutor

  Yvette comes from Kaifeng, a historical and cultural city in the middle of China. Yvette joined the CI in September 2023. Her research focuses on ancient Chinese and Chinese teaching methods. She likes experiencing different and colourful cultures.

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  Wang Fandi (Fiona), Chinese Language Tutor

  Fiona comes from Shaanxi, a province located in Northwest China. Dedicated to researching methodologies of Chinese language teaching, she joined the CI team in September 2023 and is working as a Teaching Assistant at a middle school in Macclesfield.

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