Chinese Education Helps Rwandan Youth Realize Dreams International | Confucius Institute | Dreams

The Confucius Institute at the University of Rwanda, nestled in green trees, is full of vitality. In the picturesque campus, students either bury their heads in the shade of trees to study, or leisurely stroll along the grassy path in groups of three.

Zeng Guangyu, the Chinese dean of the Confucius Institute at the University of Rwanda, said in an interview with People's Daily that this is the first and only Confucius Institute in Rwanda to date. The Confucius Institute is jointly organized by Chongqing Normal University in China and the University of Rwanda. Cooperation and execution agreements were signed in 2007 and 2008 respectively, and it was officially unveiled on June 26, 2009. The Chinese courses offered within Rwanda mainly include credit courses, elective courses, interest classes, specialized courses, and other types. The Chinese language offered by various university teaching points is still mainly extracurricular interest classes, while middle schools mainly offer credit and elective courses. International schools and other institutions offer IB Chinese, while social students and some special purpose Chinese language specialized classes can be added or removed at any time according to the needs of learners and registration situations.

In 2016, the Confucius Institute at the University of Rwanda was awarded the title of "Advanced Confucius Institute" globally, marking that the achievements of the Confucius Institute at the University of Rwanda rank among the top in the practice of Confucius Institutes in Africa and even globally. At present, Luda Confucius Institute has 14 teaching points throughout Rwanda, including 1 Confucius Classroom, 7 university teaching points, and 6 middle school teaching points. There are both national universities and vocational colleges in the teaching points; There are both international schools and regular high schools; There are both those based in the bustling areas of the capital and those located in remote suburbs. The number of people who study Chinese at 14 teaching points in schools of all levels and types throughout the country is about 5000, which is 20 times more than the total number in 2009.

In addition to the construction of local teaching staff, Lu Da Confucius Institute has also focused on building local teaching resources, and has compiled and published three bilingual series textbooks and reference books for the "China Lu Language Exchange Project". The Rwandan English Chinese Dictionary, co authored by Kong Lingyuan, Zeng Guangyu, and linguistic experts from the Lu side, was officially published in 2012, marking the first step in the "Sino Lu Language Exchange Project". In 2020, the publication of "Practical Rwandan Language" by the Confucius Institute of Luda marked the first textbook to systematically teach Rwandan language with Chinese annotations. In 2021, with the support of the Sino Foreign Language Exchange and Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Education, the local textbook "365 Practical Chinese Conversations" edited by the Sino foreign team of the Confucius Institute of Rwanda was completed and published. This marks the birth of the first Chinese textbook annotated in Rwandan language and also marks significant progress in the localization process of Chinese education in Rwanda.

The reporter learned during the interview that Chinese education has opened a new window for the Rwandan people to observe the colorful world, understand and love Chinese culture, and gain a better understanding of China's social and economic development achievements. By learning Chinese, they can appreciate the poetic romance from Eastern languages and perceive the unique charm of traditional Chinese culture. At the same time, Chinese education has also brought new opportunities and Xintiandi for Rwandan teenagers to create a better life. Mastering Chinese is a skill that many people use to find the key to a better life.

Local teacher GAD MUHIRWA is a typical representative of beneficiaries of "Chinese+vocational skills" education outcomes. Tian Wen graduated from Rwanda Vocational and Technical University, and his dream was to become a teacher. However, due to the limitations of local economic development, he did not find a suitable job position after graduation. After studying Chinese at the Confucius Institute of the University of Rwanda for one year, I was awarded the International Chinese Teacher Scholarship and pursued a Master's degree in Chinese International Education at Chongqing Normal University. In 2021, in response to the Chinese language learning requirements of students at Rwanda Vocational and Technical University, the school president requested to offer Chinese language courses at the university. Faced with the shortage of Chinese teachers caused by the epidemic, Tian Wen volunteered to serve as a Chinese teacher at the school. More than 200 teachers and students who signed up to learn Chinese at the school were successful, and Tian Wen returned to his alma mater, realizing his dream of becoming a teacher.

Irakoze Kimonyo Sabine was a former Confucius Institute at the University of Rwanda in the southern province of E N. Students at the Chinese language teaching point of D.P.K Girls' High School. The first Chinese course offered by the school in 2018 sparked her strong interest, and since then, she has planted a seed of "Chinese dream" in her heart. She hopes to learn Chinese well and study abroad in China in the future, learn advanced knowledge and technology in China, return to Rwanda after completing her studies, contribute to the construction of Rwanda, and become the builder of the China Rwanda Friendship Bridge and the ambassador of cultural exchange. Her teacher also made an agreement with her to "meet in China" in three years. In 2019, Wen Bin, who had just studied Chinese for a year, participated in the 12th "Chinese Bridge" World Chinese Language Competition for Middle School Students and won the championship of the Rwanda region and the third prize globally, creating the best result for Rwandan athletes in the "Chinese Bridge" World Chinese Language Competition for Middle School Students. During the epidemic, she persisted in learning Chinese online with Chinese teachers and participated in the 20th "Chinese Bridge" World University Chinese Competition, winning the championship in the Rwanda region and becoming the first "double champion" in Rwanda's history. Later, she received the admission notice of the Chinese government scholarship for the cross-border e-commerce undergraduate talent training project in countries along the "the Belt and Road".

Afterwards, Wen Bin participated in the second "Most · Confucius Institute" short video event organized by the China International Chinese Education Foundation. With the help of Dean Zeng Guangyu and Professor Yang Haixia of the Confucius Institute at the University of Rwanda, she filmed a short video of "Rwandan Chinese Tea" and won the special prize for the most cultural element. She herself was also awarded the title of "Confucius Institute Expert" for this. In October 2022, she finally arrived in Chongqing smoothly and began her study abroad life in China. And met her teacher who had previously taught her in high school in Chongqing, fulfilling their three-year promise.

In the martial arts class, there is a student named Uwirigoro Emmanuel who is full of love and longing for Chinese martial arts. Ma Zhengfeng has been passionate about sports since childhood, especially martial arts. Through the martial arts learning opportunities provided by the Confucius Institute, Ma Zhengfeng was exposed to and studied Chinese martial arts. At first, Ma Zhengfeng felt unfamiliar with the techniques and movements of Chinese martial arts, but he was not discouraged. He humbly studies, trains diligently, and overcomes difficulties with tenacious perseverance. With the passage of time, Ma Zhengfeng's martial arts skills have gradually improved, and he has demonstrated outstanding performance and practical combat abilities. He actively participates in various martial arts competitions and performances, showcasing the charm of Chinese martial arts on stages in Rwanda and other countries. By studying Chinese martial arts, Ma Zhengfeng not only exercises his body, but more importantly, cultivates resilient willpower and self-discipline. He learned the spirit of perseverance from martial arts and the courage to never back down and move forward when facing difficulties and challenges. Later, Ma Zhengfeng returned to Rwanda after studying in China for two years and began his entrepreneurial life. The spiritual qualities obtained through learning Chinese martial arts and the resilience honed are important forces for him to overcome the numerous difficulties on his entrepreneurial journey.