People
Find out more about the people that make up the Confucius Institute.
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 excellent China-related research at Manchester visible and accessible to the public.
Associate Professor Shuangxia Sheng
Chinese Director
Shuangxia is an Associate Professor from Beijing Normal University and has been at the CI since 2017. She researches Chinese as a foreign language, including teaching theory and practice, curriculum design, primary and secondary school teaching methodology, and social and folk culture.
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.
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.
Miss Tabea Heckrodt
Events and Marketing Officer
Originally from Germany, Tabea joined the CI in 2013. She manages and delivers an annual calendar of external engagement projects and initiatives. Other key areas are internal and external communications and the institute's digital presence.
Mrs Hayley Teixeira-Roxburgh
Support Officer
Hayley has worked at the University since 2011 and the CI since 2014. 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.
Yixuan Zheng (Allison)
Chinese Language Tutor
Originally from Anhui province, Allison has been studying in Beijing and then teaching at Manchester CI since March 2018. Her research focus is on teaching methods and cross-cultural communication. In her spare time, Alison enjoys reading and playing Guzheng.
Shuyuan Wan (Corinne)
Chinese Language Tutor
Originally from Jinan in Northern China, Corinne has been teaching Mandarin at Manchester since April 2018. She holds a BA and a MA in Teaching Chinese as the Second Language, with research dedicated to Chinese characters and intercultural studies.
Yiping Zhang (Sunny)
Chinese Language Tutor
Sunny comes from Shouguang, Shandong Province. She joined the CI in September 2018. She specialises in Chinese calligraphy at the highest Chinese level and researches Chinese culture teaching and teaching methods.
Qian Liu (Doria)
Chinese Language Tutor
Doria joined the CI in September 2018. Her research focus is on Chinese teaching methodology and simplifying language teaching. She aims to teach Chinese in a communicative and engaging way.
Xia Jiamin (Shelley)
Chinese Language Tutor
Originally from Guangdong Province, China, Shelley is an experienced Mandarin teacher who joined us in September 2018. She aims to combine teaching and practice and focus on student-centred learning.
Yating Wang (Vicky)
Chinese Language Tutor
Vicky's hometown is Jilin, China and her research focus is on vocabulary teaching. At Manchester since March 2018, she teaches the comprehensive courses and the HSK3 preparation course. She enjoys calligraphy and playing badminton.
Danyao Zhang (Diana)
Chinese Language Tutor
Diana joined us in March 2018 and teaches comprehensive Chinese courses, conversational lessons and HSK tests. She holds the Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages and aims to implement practical and efficient learning practices.
Jingwen Che (Chloe)
Chinese Language Tutor
Chloe comes from Qingdao, China and has been teaching Mandarin at the CI since April 2018. Her research focuses on oral Chinese expression and cultural teaching methods, and she is good at tea art and calligraphy teaching.
Ruoyun Sun (Sunny)
Chinese Language Tutor
Originally from Beijing, Ruoyun has been teaching Mandarin since 2015. She holds a BA and MA in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, with research dedicated to Chinese primary and secondary teaching strategy. She works at a primary school in Oldham.
Mingli Sun (Ayra)
Chinese Language Tutor
Mingli comes from from Yantai, China and is a Mandarin teacher at All Hallows Catholic College, one of the Confucius Classrooms. She has taught foreign students at BNU and Beijing Language and Culture University, as well as in Sri Lanka.