The teachers and students of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, the Chinese partner institution of the institute, are very excited and encouraged-building a bridge of friendship between China and South Africa makes Chinese culture fragrant overseas. President Xi Jinping's letter to the Confucius Institute of Durban University of Technology in South Africa | Chinese | Teachers and Students

These earnest and earnest instructions not only serve as earnest expectations for the teachers and students of the Confucius Institute, but also inspire and inspire the teachers and students of Fujian A&F University, a Chinese partner institution of the institute.

The Confucius Institute at Durban Institute of Technology was officially established on March 26, 2013. It is the only Confucius Institute in KwaZulu Natal Province, the second largest province in South Africa. The Chinese partner institution is Fujian A&F University.

Since its establishment, the Confucius Institute at Durban Institute of Technology has been committed to meeting the urgent needs of the local people in South Africa for understanding Chinese culture and learning Chinese, and carrying out Chinese education and cultural exchange activities. In 2017, Durban Institute of Technology was awarded the title of "Global Advanced Confucius Institute".

"There are many students from different majors in the school who use their after-school time to attend Chinese classes at the Confucius Institute, including those studying engineering, art and design, tourism management, and so on. There are students from our own campus, as well as those who come specifically from other campuses." Lei Yu, a teacher at the Delhousie University Joint College of Fujian A&F University, who used to teach at the Confucius Institute in Durban, said that Chinese is not easy for South Africans to learn, especially for beginner students who have just started learning Chinese. But 95% of the students persevered and were still unsatisfied after the end of a course.

Over the past decade, the Confucius Institute in Durban has successfully organized over 100 Chinese language students to study in China through summer/winter camps, and actively promoted the study abroad program to South African university students. Over 20 students have been recommended to receive Chinese government scholarships or university scholarships to pursue undergraduate or master's degrees at universities such as Peking University, Shanghai Maritime University, Fujian A&F University, and Fujian Normal University. In addition, the Confucius Institute at Durban Institute of Technology actively promotes cooperation and exchanges between Chinese and foreign universities, and conducts multi-modal cooperation in multiple fields such as water environment governance, food safety, electromechanical engineering, clothing art design, horticulture, language and culture, as well as joint training of graduate students, teacher-student visits, and joint application for research projects.

"My academic journey and becoming an associate professor in China both began with studying at the Confucius Institute at Durban Institute of Technology. All of my personal achievements are closely related to the opportunities given to me by the Chinese government and the Confucius Institute in Durban." Associate Professor Walter Nanjimwa of the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at Fuzhou University has always dreamed of studying mechanical engineering in China, but his poor family background once discouraged him. Fortunately, while pursuing a bachelor's degree at the Durban Institute of Technology, Walter Nangimwa met the Chinese dean and Chinese teacher at the Confucius Institute. In addition to studying Chinese, they often used stories of Chinese historical figures to inspire him to actively face setbacks and challenges in life, and also provided assistance for him to achieve his dreams. Shortly thereafter, Walter Nanjimwa was successfully selected for the Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering at Fujian A&F University, a Chinese partner institution of the Confucius Institute in Durban. He began pursuing a Master's degree at Fujian A&F University in September 2015. "I am proud to be a member of the Confucius Institute at Durban Institute of Technology in South Africa. We are a family and I am grateful," Walt Nangimwa said.