"Strive to Be Messengers of Inheriting and Developing South-China Friendship" Teachers and Students | Xi Jinping | Career
"Help more young South Africans learn Chinese well and understand China"
Since its establishment ten years ago, the Confucius Institute at Durban Institute of Technology in South Africa has trained nearly 10000 students, providing talent for inheriting friendly relations between the two countries and promoting common development between China and Africa.
In recent years, the hospital has been committed to conducting local teacher training, cultivating qualified local Chinese language teachers, and striving to build a sustainable local teaching staff. Sanelei Entuli, a local volunteer teacher at the Confucius Institute and the author of this joint letter between teachers and students, is one of them. This South African youth originally studied engineering at the Durban Institute of Technology, but entered the Confucius Institute in 2018 due to personal interests. The Chinese teacher gave him the Chinese name "Linsen" based on the pronunciation of his Zulu name. After graduating in 2022, he stayed on campus to teach Chinese.
"Open Xintiandi of Life through 'Chinese+' Project"
In December 2020, in order to strengthen cultural and educational exchanges and cooperation between China and South Africa, the Confucius Institute at Durban Institute of Technology in South Africa vigorously developed a global demonstration Confucius Institute construction project with the "Chinese+" vocational skills and technical training center as its characteristic. This project covers language teaching, cultural experience, technological innovation and entrepreneurship, and actively explores school enterprise cooperation models to provide opportunities for students to find employment and start businesses. Many South African young people have graduated and started working in Chinese enterprises.
From May to July 2018, Wendy, a horticultural student at Durban Institute of Technology, participated in a fungal and grass technology training program organized by the Confucius Institute and the Chinese partner university Fujian A&F University. She said, "I hope to share the mushroom and grass technology I have learned with more South Africans, helping them get rid of poverty and become rich."
Muhurich participated in the "Chinese+" e-commerce training program organized by the Confucius Institute at Durban Institute of Technology. "Through the vocational skills program at school, I have learned a lot about e-commerce." She said she is about to graduate, and it is learning Chinese that has given her more career choices. "Thank you to China for providing us with development opportunities. I would like to apply the e-commerce knowledge and skills I have learned to start a business, and may also continue pursuing a master's degree."
"Many students are encouraged by the achievements of their seniors and find that mastering Chinese is conducive to improving their competitiveness." Wu Lin said, "More and more South African youth like Chinese and open a new world of life through the 'Chinese+' project."
"To contribute to deepening the South China friendly relationship"
They stated that they will continue to teach and learn Chinese well, and become ambassadors for friendly exchanges between South China and Africa.
"This year, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Confucius Institute at Durban Institute of Technology. We will leverage our respective strengths to contribute to deepening the South China friendly relationship."
"I want to learn about China's history and culture by studying Chinese. In the future, I hope to have the opportunity to teach English in China or study abroad in China, and after completing my studies, I will come back to teach Chinese to South Africans," said Busswell, a sophomore student
Buswell's classmate Luo Li said, "Chinese contains excellent traditional Chinese culture and the wisdom of the Chinese people in handling things. In the future, I want to go to China to work and live, and personally experience the charm of Chinese culture."
Lin Sen said, "Learning Chinese has changed my life. I hope to use the knowledge I have learned to help more young people in South Africa make more positive changes. We must strive to be ambassadors for the inheritance and development of the South China friendship cause, and promote deeper cultural exchanges between South China and Africa."