Launch of the Confucius Institute
The Confucius Institute at Victoria University of Wellington was officially launched by the Vice President of China Xi Jinping and Vice Chancellor Professor Pat Walsh in Wellington, on Saturday, 19 June 2010. Present at the ceremony were also a delegation led by Professor Zhu Zhiwen, Council Chairman of Xiamen University which the Chinese partner university with Victoria University on the Confucius Institute, and a delegation led Hu Zhiping, Deputy Director General of Hanban, the Headquarters Organization for the world Confucius Institutes.
Vice Chancellor Professor Pat Walsh said at the launch “This is a significant occasion as it marks the ever strengthening relationship that Victoria University has with the People’s Republic of China” and that he is confident that providing access to this learning and insight in Wellington will prove to be beneficial as the two countries build closer economic ties.
Victoria’s Confucius Institute is a joint venture with Xiamen University, which Victoria University has an already strong partnership with. In December 2009, the New Zealand Research Centre of Xiamen University was established as part of the partnership and collaboration between the two universities, forging this strong partnership. The NZ Contemporary China Research Centre has played a key role in the establishment of both the Confucius Institute at Victoria University and the NZ Research Centre at Xiamen University.
Confucius Institutes are not-for-profit centres within foreign universities designed to support the teaching of the Chinese language and culture. They operate in partnership with a Chinese university and are financially supported by the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban), part of the Chinese Ministry of Education. The Confucius Institute will operate as a project-based organisation, promoting Chinese language and culture study in New Zealand through educational programs, cultural activities, exams, conferences, events and scholarships.
This ceremonial launch marks the beginning of a one-year period in which the Confucius Institute will be set up at Victoria University, in which a Director and advisory board will be appointed.