Education | Confucius Institute holds first graduation ceremony

The University of Macau (UM) Confucius Institute recently held the first graduation ceremony in the 2018/2019 academic year for students from its Chinese language courses and an inauguration ceremony for its alumni association in the Black Box Theatre in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities (FAH).

In her speech, Professor Hong Gang Jin, dean of the FAH and director of the UM Confucius Institute, said that the institute has the responsibility to promote the Chinese language and culture, and as such, it offers Chinese language courses to non-Chinese-speakers in Macau. According to Jin, since its establishment in April, the institute has organized various academic and exchange activities in order to enhance its teaching and research capacity in the field. With the enrolment of more students and the organization of more academic forums and exchange activities, the institute will be able to integrate resources and use its advantages to make outstanding contributions to cross-cultural communication in Macau.

Students in the elementary and intermediate Chinese courses showcased their talents during the ceremony. Portuguese student João Rato recited a poem by Portuguese poet Luís Vaz de Camões, while members of the UM Chinese Opera Association gave a Kun opera performance and a Chinese Kung Fu performance to illustrate the charm of traditional Chinese culture. Hou Xiaoming and Wen Han, instructors in the Confucius Institute, expressed their hope that students would benefit from the courses and meet friends from different cultural backgrounds. Excellent Student Awards, Outstanding Student Awards, and Hardworking Student Awards were also presented during the event.

At the same event, the institute held an inauguration ceremony for its alumni association. Professor Jin appointed a Korean student named Cho Hyung Je as the first president of the association.