The Director of Volunteer Affairs, Mrs Guo Jiaoyang, of Confucius Institute Headquarters, Hanban, visited CI-UoM on 23th May 2018. She was accompanied by the Senior Program Officer of the Division of Policy Studies, Mrs Wen Qiong; Officer from the Division of Volunteer Chinese Teacher Affairs, Ms Wen Jing; and Senior Officer from the Division of Finance. Mrs Guo Jiaoyang is in charge of the volunteer Chinese teachers in schools and Confucius Institutes/Classrooms around the world.
The visit to CI-UoM was part of an official visit of the Director of Volunteer affairs to Primary School Division of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research. A meeting was held between the Chinese delegates from Hanban and the Directorates, Inspectorates and other administrative officers in charge of the management of Primary Schools in Mauritius. Mandarin language (Modern Chinese) is one of the Asian languages on offer to students of primary schools in Mauritius. There are currently 26 volunteer Chinese teachers, sponsored by the Division of Volunteer Chinese Teacher Affairs, Hanban, serving about 25 primary schools of Mauritius. The young teachers participate in a program of cooperation that exists for nearly 10 years between the local primary education authorities and China. Various issues and challenges pertaining to the running of the program were discussed and both parties are determined to overcome the problems highlighted during the discussion with commitments.
Mrs Guo Jiaoyang visited a primary school in Rose-Hill and was impressed with the work carried out by the volunteer teachers and students’ progress. She also met all the volunteers’ teachers at the Chinese Cultural Centre, Bell-Village. She expressed her great appreciation for the work being carried out by the teachers and encouraged them to maintain the energy and passion which the work demands for the advancement of the Chinese language and culture in Mauritius.
Plate 1. Meeting with Vice Chancellor of the University of Mauritius (UoM); from left to right: Ms Wen Jing, Officer from the Division of Volunteer Chinese Teacher Affairs; Associate Professor Naraindra Kistamah, Mauritian Director of CI-UoM; Mrs Guo Jiaoyang, Director of Volunteer Affairs, Hanban; Professor Dhanjay Jhurry, Vice-Chancellor of UoM; Associate Professor Tan Xudong, Chinese Director of CI-UoM; Mrs Wen Qiong, Senior Program Officer of the Division of Policy Studies; and Senior Officer from the Division of Finance.
Plate 2. Exchange of gifts at the Confucius Institute at UoM; Associate Professor Tan Xudong, Chinese Director of CI-UoM; Mrs Guo Jiaoyang, Director of Volunteer Affairs, Hanban; and Associate Professor Naraindra Kistamah, Mauritian Director of CI-UoM.
Plate 3. The delegates from the Division of Volunteer affairs, Hanban, with the full-time and volunteer Chinese teachers at CI-UoM.
Plate 4. Mrs Guo Jiaoyang, Director of Volunteer Affairs, Hanban, addressing the volunteer Chinese teachers in the company of the other Chinese teachers and Directors of CI-UoM.