Our team
Find out more about the people that make up the Confucius Institute.
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Prof. Deljana Iossifova, Director
Deljana is a Professor 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, 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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Yanli Cui, Chinese Language Teacher and Education Psychologist
Yanli Cui joined the Manchester Confucius Institute in September 2025 from the Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University. She brings rich teaching experience having worked as a kindergarten teacher in a university-affiliated experimental kindergarten and taught university courses on student mental health at Beijing Normal University. Her background in psychology gives her a unique perspective on international Chinese language education, and she looks forward to meeting you on your language learning journey.
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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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Jiang Chen (Jessica), Chinese Language Tutor
Jessica comes from Weihai, Shandong Province, and joined the CI in 2025. She mainly studies the overseas dissemination of Chinese culture and game-based teaching methods, and is proficient in Chinese tea ceremony, musical Instruments and traditional handicrafts. She has relatively rich teaching experience in children's Chinese character teaching as well as in comprehensive and conversational Chinese courses for adults.
Email Jessica
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Peishan Li (Susanna), Chinese Language Tutor
Susanna joined the CI in 2025. She comes from Xi’an, a historic city in Northwest China renowned for its ancient heritage and cultural significance. She enjoys playing traditional Chinese musical instruments and practising Chinese painting. Her research focuses on teaching and classroom practice.
Email Susanna
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Xiaoxuan Ma (Aria), Chinese Language Tutor
Aria joined the Cl in 2025. She comes from Hangzhou, a city famous for the West Lake, where poetic charm meets modern vitality. She is passionate about teaching Chinese and cross-cultural communication. She focuses on the study of teaching methods, while also excelling in Chinese classical dance and calligraphy.
Email Aria
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Xiaohan Xu (Echo), Chinese Language Tutor
Echo joined the CI in 2025. She comes from Henan Province, the birthplace of Chinese culture. Echo has a strong passion for traditional Chinese culture, especially calligraphy and traditional handicrafts. Her research mainly focuses on international Chinese education and cultural dissemination.
Email Echo
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Xinchi Yan (Cynthia), Chinese Language Tutor
Cynthia joined the CI in 2025. She comes from Shenyang, Liaoning Province, an industrial city that resembles Manchester a lot. She is passionate about international Chinese language education and is an experienced teacher. She is skilled in teaching Chinese at different levels, especially to adults.
Email Cynthia
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Qian Yang (Yachi), Chinese Language Tutor
Yachi comes from Hunan province. She studied Chinese Language and Literature for her bachelor's degree and Teaching Chinese as A Second Language for her master's degree. She is especially passionate about Chinese characters and Chinese Calligraphy which she’s been practicing for over 10 years. Yachi’s goal is to help students gain confidence in using Chinese in real-life situations. She enjoys cultural exchange and is looking forward to communicating with you.
Email Yachi
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Zhuoran Zang (Barry), Chinese Language Tutor
Barry joined the CI in 2025. He comes from YanTai, a beautiful coastal city in East China. His research focuses on AI-assisted teaching and international Chinese education. Barry has a strong passion for culture, especially Taichi and Tea Arts.
Email Barry
