The 2010 African Confucius Institute Joint Conference Convenes in Yaounde

The 2010 African Confucius Institute Joint Conference was held in Cameroon’s capital Yaounde on August 12th. More than 120 delegations from 25 Confucius Institutes/Classrooms in 18 African countries participated in the joint conference. Important guests, including Xu Lin, Director-General of Hanban and General Director of Confucius Institute and Jacque Fame Ndongo, Cameroonian Education Minister attended the opening ceremony.

Xu Lin stated that the African Confucius Institutes have made gratifying achievements in the aspects of increasing student enrollment, distribution of teacher resources and cultivation of local teachers over the past year. She hoped the joint conference could strengthen the Confucius Institutes’ role in boosting the exchanges and cooperation between China and African countries through sharing the success of the Confucius Institute at the University of Yaounde II and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi.

Xu Lin also stated that delegates will carry out an in-depth discussion concerning the issues of the cultivation of local Chinese teachers, supporting the establishment of Chinese programs among primary and secondary schools, as well as enlisting the Chinese programs of Confucius Institutes into the credit system of local education.

Ndongo highly praised the Confucius Institutes’ contribution in regards to Sino-African cultural exchanges. He stated the Confucius Institute at the University of Yaounde II, over the last 3 years, has established 6 Chinese teaching sites across Cameroon. In addition, its 15 Chinese teachers from China and 5 local Chinese teachers have taught over 3,000 Cameroonians the Chinese language and about the Chinese culture. Ndongo stated his belief that the Confucius Institute is a significant component in the Cameroonian-Sino relations and African-Sino relations. He also expressed his hope that the Confucius Institute can raise more talents for the business and cultural exchanges between African countries and China.

Delegates also visited the Confucius Institute at the University of Yaounde II in the rain, where students welcomed delegates with their performances in cross-talk, operas and chorus in fluent Chinese.

Xu Lin told Cameroonian media that in 2009, Hanban granted over 4 million USD to 21 African Confucius Institutes and dispatched 102 Chinese teachers to 23 Confucius Institutes in Africa, which makes the average teacher resource distribution of African Confucius Institutes superior to that of other areas. She stated that this year Hanban will continue its vigorous support in the development of Confucius Institutes in Africa.

This year’s conference is the 3rd African Confucius Institute Joint Conference; in 2008 and 2009 the two prior conferences were held in Beijing in China and Nairobi in Kenya.