By Oliver Taylor
A group of 15 De Montfort University students will be going on a trip to China with the Confucius Institute this summer.
The trip is a summer school program facilitated by the Confucius Institute and run in conjunction with the University of Science and Technology in Beijing.
Although a basic understanding of Mandarin Chinese is required for the trip, Doctor Yingjun Yang, Director of the Confucius Institute, appealed to students to not let this deter them from applying for the trip.
“It is not very difficult, anyone who takes a little bit of Mandarin courses here could do what we called survival Mandarin.”
By traveling to China, students have a unique opportunity to learn Chinese Mandarin from fellow students and teachers speaking in their mother tongue. Students can be fully immersed into Chinese culture and utilise their Mandarin Chinese studies in real world situations.
The trip also offers students a variety of cultural and academic experiences over the two-week span. Dr Yang said that personal highlights for students that have previously gone on the trip have been visits to the University of Science and Technology in Beijing, the Great Wall of China, the Palace Museum and the headquarters of the Confucius Institute.
Although the deadline for applications for this summer’s trip has passed, students can still apply for future Mandarin Chinese classes to ensure a place on next year’s trip.
The Confucius Institute is a non-profit, public educational organization created by the Chinese government. Its aim is to introduce students and the wider community to Chinese culture and language. They are also part of the #DMUglobal programme.
Further details about the trip and Mandarin Chinese classes can be found on the #DMUglobal website.
The Confucius Institute on DMU’s campus is located in Room 1.15 in the Vijay Patel building.
