I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand. – Xun Zi, Confucian Philosopher
The newly-established Confucius Institute at the University of Hull has been founded to serve as the central hub for the dissemination of Chinese language and culture within the Humber and East Yorkshire region, and the wider coastal communities of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Our mission is:
- To foster innovative approaches to the teaching of Chinese as a Foreign Language through the use of expertise in new technologies (new media, social networks, virtual worlds and gaming); and new pedagogies.
- To develop Chinese language teacher training courses for staff from Confucius Institutes around the UK and Europe.
- To develop Chinese language teacher training courses for teachers (primary, secondary and tertiary sectors).
- To create a Centre of Excellence in innovative teaching methods for the learning and teaching of Chinese within the region.
- To support academic partnerships between the University of Hull and Tianjin Normal University.
We intend to achieve this by:
- Organising Chinese cultural events and exchange activities which will increase mutual understanding between China and the UK.
- Developing part-time, evening and vocational Chinese language training courses open to the general public, adult learners and local business – providing language and culture training courses to primary and secondary school teachers.
- Establishing a Chinese training and HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) Centre, serving as a test centre for proficiency in Chinese language for the Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Humber regions.
- Delivering language and cultural awareness workshops and flexible courses within the University for staff and students.
- Offering professional training courses on TCSL/TCFL (Teaching Chinese as a Second Language/Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language).
- Fostering educational research programmes.
Our Values
In the context of our Mission Statement, we strive for:
- Excellence
- Sustainable achievements
- An approach which is people-centred, mindful of diversity, respectful of other cultures, positive, collaborative and engaged.
And last, but not least, we seek to inspire by innovation and creativity.