UWF to host opening ceremony of Confucius Institute
This week, the University of West Florida is hosting a Chinese delegation in celebration of the opening of the UWF Confucius Institute. The guests include representatives from the Chinese Consulate General in Houston, Northwest Normal University in China and the directors of the Confucius Institutes at the University of South Florida and Miami Dade College.
The Confucius Institute opening ceremony will be held Friday, May 2 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Music Hall. The event will include speeches by UWF President Judy Bense, UWF Provost Martha Saunders, UWF Confucius Institute Director Kuiyuan Li, Chinese Deputy Consul Gen. Chuanbing Zhang and Vice President of Sichuan International Studies University Jianping Li. It will also feature performances by the Pensacola Choral Society, UWF Music Department and a Chinese Performance Troupe.
The Confucius Institute at UWF is a collaborative effort between the University, China’s Office of Chinese Language Council International, or Hanban, and Sichuan International Studies University, UWF’s designated Chinese partner. It serves as a language program that promotes the study of Chinese language and culture among UWF students and the local community.
“UWF is honored to be selected as one of three Confucius Institute’s in Florida,” Bense said. “This is a significant investment in our university and in the futures of our students as we work to prepare them for the opportunities of a global society.”
Bense signed the official partnership agreement between UWF, the Office of Chinese Language Council International/Confucius Institute Headquarters and SISU in Chongqing in May 2013.
There are currently three Confucius Institutes in Florida, approximately 90 in the United States, and more than 400 across the world. The University of South Florida Confucius Institute, the first to open in Florida, was created in 2008, and the Miami Dade College Confucius Institute followed two years later.
For additional information about the UWF Confucius Institute, visit uwf.edu/confucius.
