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 CI a resource for everyone wishing to learn more about the Chinese language and culture.
Dr Hui Zhang
Chinese Director
Hui Zhang is Associate Professor in teaching Chinese as a second language at the School of Chinese Language & Culture at Beijing Normal University and joined the CI in Jan 2020. He has extensive Chinese language teaching experience overseas with profound classical Chinese language knowledge. In his last post at San Francisco CI he played an integral role in developing the HSK online testing platform that has now been rolled out world-wide.
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.
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.
Wei Lin (Jeremy)
Chinese Language Tutor
Email: wei.lin@manchester.ac.uk
Jeremy joined the CI in September 2022. She comes from Zhejiang, a province in eastern China. With a strong interest in different cultures, she is committed to foster intercultural understanding and communication.
Hao Hao (Isabel)
Chinese Language Tutor
Email: hao.hao@manchester.ac.uk
Isabel comes from Beijing and has been teaching Mandarin at Manchester CI since October 2022. Her research focuses on teaching methodology and she enjoys Chinese classical dance. She uses the CI WeChat and Weibo accounts to reach out to students and Mandarin learners.
Chen Mingjun (June)
Chinese Language Tutor
Email: mingjunchen939@gmail.com
June comes from Mudanjiang, a beautiful city in north-east China. June joined the CI in September 2022. Her research focuses on Academic emotions and Chinese teaching strategy. She really enjoys Chinese painting.
Xueling Lin (Iris)
Chinese Language Tutor
Email: xueling.lin@manchester.ac.uk
Iris comes from Yantai, a beautiful coastal city in the east of China and has joined the CI in September 2022. She likes traditional Chinese folk art. Her research focuses on Chinese teaching methodology and modern teaching technology.
Xiaoyu Chen (Jessica)
Chinese Language Tutor
Email: xiaoyu.chen@manchester.ac.uk
Jessica comes from Tianjin, a beautiful coastal city in northern China. She is a passionate Mandarin tutor with a particular research focus on technology that supports learning and her teaching practice.
Ruihong Huang (Emma)
Chinese Language Tutor
Email: Ruihong.Huang@manchester.ac.uk
Emma joined the CI in September 2022. She comes from Chongqing, a city located in south-western China that is famous for its food. Her research focuses on language acquisition. With a strong interest in linguistics, she aims at discovering the mysteries of language learning and making it accessible to as many people as possible.
Xiaojun Cao(Cynthia）
Chinese Language Tutor
Email: cao.xiaojun@manchester.ac.uk
Cynthia joined the CI in September 2022. She comes from Anhui province, a place famous for Huangmei Opera. Her research focuses on multimedia teaching technology and teaching methodology. In her spare time, she enjoys dancing and writing Chinese calligraphy.