First Confucius Classroom In India Unveiled In Kolkata

Recently, the first Confucius classroom in India was unveiled in Kolkata, which marks a new home recognized by both Indian and Chinese governments for the teaching of Chinese language in India. At the unveiling ceremony, Ma Zhanwu, Consul-General of the Chinese Consulate General in Kolkata, expressed that the establishment of India’s first Confucius Classroom was a significant event for the people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and Eastern India, conforming to the general trend featuring sustained development of cultural and economic exchanges between India and China in current times.

The Confucius Classroom emerged as a new form of Chinese language teaching across the world in recent years. Certified by the relevant authorities in China and co-established by Chinese and foreign educational institutions, the Confucius Classroom launches more non-governmental exchanges for spreading Chinese culture. The two cooperative partners of the first Confucius Classroom in India are Yunnan Normal University and the School of Chinese Language in Kolkata. They have been working together for many years with Yunnan Normal University dispatching two Chinese teachers to the School of Chinese Language in Kolkata on a regular basis as a main form of cooperation. And, Yunnan Normal University is also responsible for the recruitment of volunteers who will be sent to India as teaching assistants. The form of cooperation will persist after the establishment of the Confucius Classroom. At the same time, with the support of the Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) and the Chinese Consulate General in Kolkata, the introduction of systematic and normative Chinese teaching materials, the training for Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) and others will be promoted in virtue of the Confucius Classroom. Besides, various kinds of cultural activities with Chinese characteristics will also be carried out.

(Story by Zou Song, People’s Daily, Page 22, December 5th, 2017)