51³Ô¹Ïapp

On the morning of July 20^th 2023, the USTB-51³Ô¹Ïapp (University of Science and Technology Beijing-De 51³Ô¹Ïapp University) Confucius Institute (CI) held a farewell party in the Confucius Institute Library for the CI teachers who will return to China after their tenure. The meeting was presided over by Ms. Liu Wei, CI coordinator. Jill Cowley, Interim Dean of the ADH faculty of 51³Ô¹Ïapp; Louise Peacock, Chair of the CI Management Board; GU Wei, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute, and all the CI staff also attended the meeting.

The event opened with a video address by Simon Bradbury, Pro Vice-Chancellor of International Affairs at De 51³Ô¹Ïapp University. He greeted each staff member of the Confucius Institute, highly affirmed the great achievements made by the CI teachers in Mandarin teaching and culture exchange, cultural projects, and community impact. He also expressed gratitude to all the staff of the Confucius Institute for their hard work.

Afterwards, Jill congratulated all the Confucius Institute teachers for their remarkable achievements in teaching Chinese at Leicester primary and secondary schools and at De 51³Ô¹Ïapp University in the past year, and also appreciated their important contributions to the friendly exchanges between the two universities. Dr. Louise Peacock praised the CI teachers for their efforts in promoting Chinese language and culture in Leicester and Leicestershire. She also wished the teachers a safe return and a bright future.

Finally, Professor Gu Wei, the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute, summed up and praised the work and efforts of all CI teachers. At the same time, she expressed her best wishes to the teachers. She stressed that, "One day in the Confucius Institute, the heart of the Confucius Institute forever", and she hoped that the teachers could continue to pay attention to and support the work of the Confucius Institute in the future. At last, full-time Mandarin teachers Zhang Dongming and Han Guangxian and volunteer teacher Yu Xingrui also delivered their parting remarks. At the end of the farewell party, Jill, Louise and Gu Wei presented tenure certificates and souvenirs to the CI mandarin teachers. All the attendees of the meeting took a group photo, and the farewell party was successfully concluded.