News and Events
Chinese Language and Cultural Workshops for School Children
The Confucius Institute has successfully run two Chinese Language and Cultural Workshops in June and July for school children from Speers Point Public School, Booragul Public School, Fennell Bay Public School and Lake Macquarie High School.
The workshop was consisted of 4 sessions – Chinese Language, Chinese Food, Chinese Paper Folding, and Chinese Folk Song and Dance. It offered many fun, hands-on activities and was enjoyed by all the students.
The workshop aims to spark students' interest in Chinese language and culture. It forms part of our effort to improve Chinese literacy in local schools.
Five Students Awarded Discover China Scholarships in 2012
With the assistance of the Confucius Institute, five students have been awarded Discover China Scholarships in 2012. Funded by DEEWR and administered by Universities Australia, the scholarships are valued at $2,500 at assist and encourage students to undertake semester exchange study in China.
2012 Joint Conference of Asian and Oceania Confucius Institutes in Bangkok
Rhys Palmer and Jonathan Yi from the Confucius Institute at the University of Newcastle attended the 2012 Joint Conference of Asian and Oceania Confucius Institutes in Bangkok, Thailand from 24-26 June.
The three-day event was co-hosted by the Headquarters of Confucius Institutes and the Confucius Institute at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. 300 delegates from Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms in 31 countries across Asia and Oceania shared their views and ideas on the development of the Confucius Institutes, Confucius Institute Assessment and Evaluation and New Chinese Studies. Rhys chaired the Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia discussion group.
"Going to China was fantastic. Xie Xie, China!"
Fifteen students from the University of Newcastle recently had an opportunity to experience China first-hand as part of a 10-day cultural immersion tour during April 2012.
Organised and led by the Confucius Institute at the University of Newcastle the tour visited Shanghai, Suzhou, Kunming, Dali and Lijiang. Students were dazzled by the cosmopolitan flair of Shanghai, amazed by the classical Chinese architecture in Suzhou, and marvelled at the picture-perfect Yulong Snow Mountain and ancient towns in the ethnically diverse southwest region of China. They tasted authentic Chinese food along the way, visited gardens and museums, wandered in buzzing night markets and shopping streets, and stepped out their comfort zone to chat in Chinese with friendly locals.
However, what made the trip truly special and unforgettable was visiting East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai and Yunnan University of Finance and Economics in Kunming. The students from Newcastle had the opportunity to listen to lectures given by Chinese professors and meet and talk with Chinese university students on several occasions. All of the Chinese students were warm, welcoming and very generous in sharing stories about their study, their families and campus life. So impressed by these experiences, some of the Newcastle students are now considering further study in China.
For some, the contrast between traditional Chinese culture and the modern city life, between the reality and the western stereotype was fascinating and thought-provoking. Kylie, an art student from the University of Newcastle took thousands of photos during the tour and is planning an exhibition to showcase her ‘first time’ impression of China.
Directly experiencing the cultural differences between Australian and Chinese ways of thinking and doing things provided the Newcastle students with many valuable insights. One student, who hosts a 17-year-old Chinese student in her own home in Newcastle, said the tour gave her a greater appreciation and a much better understanding of the 'adjustments' everyone has to make to immerse themselves in another culture.
Rhys Palmer, Director of the Confucius Institute, said this inaugural Southern China Cultural Tour was a huge success. "The students' exposure to museums and traditional gardens was enriching for them, but it was the one-on-one exchanges and interactions with the Chinese students and the Chinese people they met along the way that made it really magical. One student described the tour to me as 'life changing' — that to me is a success."
Opening of the Confucius Institute
The opening ceremony of the new Confucius Institute at the University of Newcastle was held on 11 May 2011.
The Confucius Institute aims are to advance understanding of, and engagement with, Chinese language and culture. The University of Newcastle acknowledges the generous support and partnership of the Office of the Chinese Language Council International (Hanban) and Central China Normal University, China.
University Welcomed Visiting Group from JJL China
The University of Newcastle was pleased to welcome a group of agent representatives from the People's Republic of China in May.
The education consultants were from Shanghai, Qingdo, Beijing, Dalian, Jinan, Shenyang, Shijazhuang and Zhengzhou.
They were provided with a tour of the university's five faculties, together with the Ourimbah campus and our facilities in the centre of Sydney.
