Confucius
Institute
Our Staff
Cher Jones
Director, Institution Relations (Greater China)
Ms Jones plays a leading role in the development and execution of the University of Newcastle’s Greater China Strategy, Confucius Institute operations management, and industry partnership and engagement.
Ms Jones joined the University from the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet, where she was the Trade and Investment Commissioner and Senior Representative of New South Wales Government for South China and Hong Kong, based in Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China.
She has a wealth of knowledge and expertise established during a diverse 25 -year career in the Australian public sector, international business, and research and development commercialisation.
Prior to her role with the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Ms Jones was the Associate Director of the Australian and New Zealand Banking Group ‘ANZ’ Guangzhou Branch with responsibilities in corporate and institutional banking for large local corporations in South China. She also worked at Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Canberra contributing to the commercialisation of Australian intellectual property in biotechnology.
She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Hong Kong, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan and undertook a Master Degree of Public Policy with the Australian National University.
Stewart Yang
Deputy (Chinese) Director
As the Dean of General Foreign Languages Department of the Foreign Languages School, Associate Professor Stewart Yang has recently been appointed to this position from the 1st February 2023 to the 31st January 2025.
He holds a tenured teaching position of English at Central China Normal University, the Chinese partner university of our Confucius Institute.
He has extensive teaching and management experience in foreign language education. Apart from the Confucius Institute at the University of Newcastle, he has previously taught Chinese at Augustana College, USA from September 2005 to June 2006, and worked as a visiting scholar at the University of Oregon, USA from September 2014 to August 2015.
Stewart holds a BA in English Education and a MA in English Language and Literature from Central China Normal University. At present, he is a doctorate candidate majored in Curriculum and Teaching Methodology at School of Education, Central China Normal University.
Carol Huang
Administration Manager
Carol admires many dedicated students who would take the initiative to learn a second language. She takes pride in serving and supporting them studying with the Confucius Institute at the University of Newcastle. She is responsible for three key portfolios of finance management, risk and compliance, and marketing and administration.
Before joining the University, Carol worked at Macquarie University and the University of New South Wales in research projects on renewable energies. She also has over 10 years’ experience with international banks in both China and Australia.
Carol holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (China).
Hannah Shuai
Chinese Instructor
Hannah (Fenghang Shuai) teaches Chinese Language at the Confucius Institute, the University of Newcastle. She holds a master’s degree in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics from Central China Normal University where she is now studying for her doctoral degree.
Equipped with the “Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Language”, she has worked as a Chinese teacher at the Confucius Institute, the University of Newcastle since 2020. In 2019, she received professional training and completed the advanced study as an international Chinese teacher at East China Normal University in Shanghai for a semester. She also successfully passed the standard test and served as Chinese teacher for zero-based learners in the winter camp. These learners were teachers and students from University of Surabaya, a national university in Indonesia. She has previously taught Mandarin to the international students from UK, Slovakia, India, Turkmenistan and Chad at Central China Normal University.
Hannah has a wide range of interests, she enjoys Chinese classical dance and holds the “Trained Teacher Certificate of Chinese Dance Examination”. She is good at and passionate in traditional Chinese cooking, Chinese hard pen calligraphy, and social media promotion campaign.
Hope Chen
Chinese Instructor
Hope (Hong Chen) is a postgraduate student at the Central China Normal University. Her major is International Chinese Language Education which she also studied during her undergraduate years.
As an undergraduate, her academic performance ranked among the top of her majors. With solid professional knowledge, she obtained the “Teacher Certificate of International Chinese Language”. She won a scholarship every semester, graduated with an outstanding thesis, and was awarded the “Outstanding Graduate.” She has undertaken an internship in the International Department of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law to teach Chinese culture to junior and intermediate students. This weekly course is now available online for English beginners. During the internship, she also helped a student from Azerbaijan to pass HSK4; She has won the Outstanding Volunteer for some important international events.
She likes to smile, loves life, and is good at Qigong Breathing Exercises (like Five Animal Exercises and Eight Sections of Brocade) and other health-preserving skills. She is passionate in international Chinese education.
Emily Dai
Chinese Instructor
Emily (Jimin Dai) is a postgraduate student at Central China Normal university with a major in “Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages”.
During her undergraduate years at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Emily spent most of her time studying and was awarded with many scholarships. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she worked as a primary school Chinese teacher in New Oriental School for 3 years where she taught many hundreds of students. Not only did she help improve students’ learning ability, but also inspired them to develop strong interest in learning. In addition to teaching, Emily was also responsible for recruitment and pre-service training of new teachers. This has helped improve her organizational and communication skills.
During her leisure time, Emily usually takes a walk and plays badminton with her family and friends. These activities can help her relax and stay healthy. Besides, she is also into traditional Chinese cooking and gardening (esp., planting flowers). In all, Emily is highly motivated and her motto is “Where there is a will, there is a way.”
Lily Huang
Chinese Instructor
Lily (Caili Huang) is a postgraduate student at Central China Normal University (CCNU) majoring in "Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages." She completed her bachelor's degree in the same field at Jinggangshan University, where she actively participated in various competitions and events. She won numerous prestigious prizes in Chinese teaching skills competitions.
In 2022, Lily took part in the "Chinese Corner on the Cloud" program which was a joint initiative between Peking University HSBC Business School and Central China Normal University. By serving as a group leader in the program, she gained valuable experiences in online teaching and engagements with students. These experiences have deepened her love for teaching and motivated her to make meaningful contributions to education.
In her free time, Lily has broad interests. She enjoys singing, dancing, and playing badminton. She is also a Hanfu (a traditional Chinese Costume) enthusiast, which has enriched her campus life and benefited her in many ways. Whenever she encounters difficulties, she reminds herself of "However long the night, the dawn will break."
Sasa Yang
Chinese Instructor
Sasa (Shasha Yang) is pursuing her master’s degree in Chinese Language and Philology at Central China Normal University. Prior to this, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Wuhan Polytechnic University.
Sasa has actively participated in extracurricular activities focusing on improving her oral English since the end of 2018. In 2022, she showcased her talents by performing eight original English dramas. In the opening show of Brind Summer Party, she entertained and mesmerized a large group of audience with her classical and modern dance performance.
During the pandemic in 2020, Sasa initiated a free English online talk to stay connected with her friends. She firmly believes that language is a bridge to other cultures and is passionate about sharing her knowledge with her students.
Apart from her academic pursuits, Sasa loves to explore new experiences through reading, travelling, and making friends. She is an avid music lover and is particularly interested in Korean and Chinese rock and pop bands. Often, she attends concerts and music festivals to support her favorite artists and unwind from her busy schedule.
Abigail Zhu
Chinese Instructor
Abigail (Xinyu Zhu) is currently studying a master’s degree of “Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages” at Central China Normal University.
She finished her undergraduate study at Nanjing Xiaozhuang University as an English major. Her own experience in learning English as a second language has shaped her understanding of the challenges when comes to language learning. She believes that language learning involves more than just memorizing vocabularies and grammar rules. It also requires immersion in the cultural environment and understanding of the language application. Therefore, she endeavours to incorporate cultural elements into her teaching, such as traditional Chinese festivals, literary works, and popular music.
Abigail enjoys jogging and watching movies in her spare time. Jogging can always bring her inner peace and watching movies can give her energy.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.