On July 10, 2019, 15 students from the Confucius Institute at St. Cyril’s and Methodius University in North Macedonia arrived in Chengdu under the leadership of teacher Wu Yingjuan. They participated in the Chinese Language Course of SWUFE and completed a two-week Chinese study and the cultural experience course, and attended the opening ceremony of the 4th Central and Eastern European Confucius Institute Summer Camp hosted by Hanban and undertaken by the Beijing Language and Culture University on July 22nd. During this period, friendship and knowledge were harvested and enhanced mutual exchanges and trust between China and North Macedonia. And both have benefited a lot.
This Chinese language training course is specially set up by SWUFE for the students in North Macedonia. It aims to improve students’ Chinese proficiency and help students truly feel and experience Chinese culture. The course includes Chinese ontology knowledge teaching, oral teaching of practical life, and Chinese traditional culture experience courses such as Chinese medicine, calligraphy, traditional costumes, and Tai Ji, which have won the unanimous love of students. In addition, the students also visited Kuanzhai Alley, Tianfu Square, Dujiangyan, Forbidden City, Tian’anmen Square, the Great Wall and other places, to further build China’s impression and feel Chinese culture.
On July 22nd, the opening ceremony of the 4th Central and Eastern European Confucius Institute Summer Camp was successfully held in the Wutong Hall of Beijing Language and Culture University. Thousands of teachers and students from 16 countries in Central and Eastern Europe and 31 Confucius Institutes gathered in Beijing Language and Culture University to attend the event. Our students attended the opening ceremony and completed the campus parade, national promotion, and flag-raising sessions. They exchanged dialogues with Chinese learners from 31 Confucius Institutes in 16 countries in Central and Eastern Europe to promote friendship.
The students expressed their gratitude to China for giving them a rare opportunity to experience the charm of Chinese and the profoundness of Chinese culture in the Chinese-speaking environment. The rapid rise of China has surprised them. China’s warmth and friendship have moved them. In the future, They will work harder to learn and to be the promoters and practitioners of China-North Macedonia friendship, and become a new force to promote mutual understanding and cooperation between the two sides.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. It is also an important stage in the construction of the “Belt and Road” and the “17+1” cooperation. St. Cyril’s and Methodius University will continue to contribute to the “17+1” education cooperation field. And will continue to work hard for The exchanges and the promotion of mutual trust between China and North Macedonia.
