In September, a group of Queensland school representatives embarked on the QLD School Representatives Tour to China 2017, an initiative to promote Sino-Australian cross cultural engagement, facilitated by the Confucius Institute at The University of Queensland (UQ CI) in conjunction with partners Hanban and Tianjin University.
The 12 day tour was developed to assist local Queensland teachers, staff and administrators in furthering their understanding of China and its education system through meetings with education offices, school visits and excursions to cultural sites, and establishing links with Chinese schools which may lead to sister school relationships.
The 2017 program incorporated visits in Beijing and Shanghai in addition to Tianjin University, the port city home to UQ CI’s partner university Tianjin University, an important collaborative partner in academic and cultural linkage.
Participants attending the 2017 tour found the experience useful, noting that ‘it was such an privilege to travel around your wonderful country visiting schools and universities to learn about the Chinese education system and also visiting cultural sites to learn more about life in China’.
"The Confucius Institute at UQ runs a number of programs and initiatives that promote the learning of Mandarin language skills and an understanding of Chinese culture, and we are pleased to extend our offerings to school representatives through this tour which helps local schools connect with Chinese schools and students" Professor Ping Chen, Director of UQ CI said.
UQ CI has supported this initiative of a number of years, encouraging senior Queensland school staff to learn more of China to the benefit of their school, students and the local community.
The Institute highly values its engagement with Queensland education and community partners in promoting culture and language, complementing its offerings to The University of Queensland.
