Confucius Institute at the University of New South Wales Holds Educational Tour to China

June 30th to July 15th--The Confucius Institute at the University of New South Wales successfully held two educational tours to China. Currently, 35 students from the university have finished their tour to China and returned home from Shanghai and Dunhuang, Gansu Province.

This activity, aiming to increase the students' interest in learning Chinese and strengthen their understanding of Chinese culture, was the first tour to China organized by the Confucius Institute since its establishment. The tour to Dunhuang, Gansu Province placed more emphasis on an introdution to ancient Chinese culture while the tour to Shanghai focused on experiencing the vigor of modern China. In addition to language and culture courses, the students to Shanghai also carried out a comparative study between the sustainable development patterns and problems that exist in both Shanghai and Sydney, based on their visit to the Shanghai Expo. They also had an in-depth exchange of views on the topic with students of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the institute's Chinese partner. Their research results will be presented at follow-up forums organized by the institute.

The activity received great support from school leaders, faculties and departments as well as the International Student Division of the university. They agreed that China had become an important part of the internationalization of education consistent with the general trend of globalization. Therefore, the educational tour not only gave them a chance to learn about China, help to broaden their horizons and raise their global awareness, but also encouraged them to continue on learning about the Chinese language and culture. Related faculties and departments of Shanghai Jiao Tong University also agreed that the methods of "Going Global" and "Integration" adopted by the Confucius Institute had been very successful in promoting the internationalisation of education in Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Since its establishment on July 30th, 2007, the Confucius Institute has devoted itself to carrying out Chinese teaching and cultural activities in the university and its surrounding communities, and promoting exchange and cooperation with Shanghai Jiao Tong University and other educational institutions in China.