Vice President of Sierra Leone Attends 5th Anniversary of Confucius Institute at University of Sierra Leone and 1st Anniversary of ‘Friends of Confucius Institute’

On December 5th local time, the 5th anniversary of the Confucius Institute (CI) at the University of Sierra Leone (USL) and the 1st anniversary of ‘Friends of Confucius Institute’ (FCI) was held in the Taichi Garden of the Confucius Institute. Over 300 people attended the ceremony including Victor Bockarie Foh, Vice President of Sierra Leone; Professor Ekundayor Thompson, Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of Sierra Leone; Wu Peng, Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone; Professor Sahr Thomas Gbamanja, Principal of Fourah Bay College of USL, representatives of FCI, people from various circles of China and Sierra Leone as well as heads of teaching sites, teachers and students from the Confucius Institute.

The ceremony

At the beginning of the event, Victor Bockarie Foh and his delegation visited Taichi Garden brimming with Chinese characteristics and watched 2017 picture exhibition of the Confucius Institute at USL. He then delivered a warm speech at the ceremony. He said that over the past five years, the Confucius Institute at USL has given full play to its role of communication, played a positive role in promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges between Sierra Leone and China, and scored remarkable achievements. As the establishment of comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between both countries, the government of Sierra Leone will continue supporting the building of the Confucius Institute, especially calling on all sides to support preparation of the building of the Confucius Institute to provide a better environment for Chinese teaching and cultural exchanges; to push forward the incorporation of Chinese into national education system of Sierra Leone to meet increasing needs of Chinese learning; and to suggest USL adopt Chinese major as soon as possible to boost the cultivation of high-level talents in Chinese in the country.

Victor Bockarie Foh delivering a speech

Wu Peng fully recognized the outstanding achievements of the Confucius Institute at USL in the speech. “Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application?” “They who love it are better than those who know it, and they who delight in it are better than those who love it.” By quoting from Confucius, Wu encouraged the Confucius Institute to carry on the teaching ideas of Confucius from which students could enjoy learning Chinese and the Chinese culture. He pointed out that the Confucius Institute has become an important channel for people from all countries to get to know China. It is hoped that the Confucius Institute at USL will build on past success to further advance the cause to promote exchange and understanding between people of China and Sierra Leone and propel cooperation and development of the two countries.

Wu Peng delivering a speech

Ekundayor Thompson said in his speech that the Confucius Institute has achieved fruitful results on the cultivation of Chinese major talents in the past five years, improving USL’s international level.

Sahr Thomas Gbamanja highly praised the Confucius Institute’s efforts to build the stage for students to achieve their dreams and the bridge to connect people of Sierra Leone and China

Kenneth Osho, Sierra Leonean Director of the Confucius Institute, and He Mingqing, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute, respectively read the congratulation letters from the Confucius Institute Headquarters and Gannan Normal University and reviewed the development history of the Confucius Institute at USL. Since the inauguration of the Confucius Institute on September 27th, 2012, the two generations of the Confucius Institute have went through hardship and forged ahead. Over the five-year development, the Confucius Institute has achieved great outcomes, with the education scale having taken shape, the operation level being gradually completed, and the forms of running school becoming more abundant. Meanwhile, preliminary results have been achieved in the cultivation of talents and the school reputation has been increasingly leveled up, which ensure the sustainable development for the institute. In the future, the Confucius Institute will vigorously seek cooperation and support from multiple sides, commit to connotative development, quality improvement and strive to build a platform for communication and exchanges, so as to promote exchanges and mutual learning as well as advance sustainable development of friendship between the two countries.

Guests cutting the celebration cake

During the event, the Confucius Institute at USL signed the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in running schools with Ballanta Academy of Music and Milton Margai College of Education and Technology.

Taichi Scholarship students performing at the ceremony

Officers and soldiers of the armed forces education centre of Sierra Leone singing the song: “One, Two, Three, Four”

Group photo

Teachers and students at the Confucius Institute gave excellent performances together. Chen-style Taichi, Taichi Kung Fu Fan and Taichi Sword performed by eight Taichi Scholarship students perfectly captured the spirit of the Chinese culture. The strong voice and sweeping momentum of students from the armed forces education centre of Sierra Leone showed in the song of “One, Two, Three, Four” won the warm applause of the audience. “The Colorful Ethnic Groups”, a folk dance in Sierra Leone, which was performed by students of the Confucius Institute, brought the atmosphere to a climax.

Story by Wu Zhenxiong