In the media
28 September 2017
The Institute was recently interviewed by Xinhua News Agency, China’s state media organisation about its development since Chinese President Xi’s visit to the University in October 2015.
Two years after President Xi's visit, the Institute has made huge strides in many ways. Our student numbers have grown to nearly 2000 annually, of which about 250 adult learners are taking our language classes. Our part-and full-time teachers attend local primary and secondary schools to help with the Chinese language programmes and tailor our Mandarin courses for business communities. Our business clients include National Nuclear Laboratory, International Nuclear Services and Manchester-China Forum to name a few.
The Institute is now housed in the newly refurbished building at 180 Waterloo Place and has successfully celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2016. The Academic Director is playing a co-ordinating role for China-related research within the University and is bringing together China scholars and practitioners for knowledge exchange. We are also leading the way in student mobility by providing scholarships for students to study in China. For our November talk we are inviting two graduates who spent time in China during this summer. We have asked them to share their experience and showcase their short films about craftsmanship and heritage. Finally, we have successfully launched various intercultural activities by hosting garden and drama workshops and forming a Confucius Institute choir. The progress at Hulme Community Garden Centre to create a Confucius garden within the community is a perceptible example for that.