During The Closing Ceremony of The Chinese Language Course Dr. Al-Mudhahka: More Than 5,000 Students and Employees Benefited from The Confucius Institute at UoB

Sakhir – University of Bahrain (Khadijah Abdusalem)

23 March 2023

The President of the University of Bahrain (UoB), Dr. Jawaher bint Shaheen Al-Mudhahka, confirmed the history of the close and strong relationship and friendship between the Kingdom of Bahrain and China, the mutual benefits as part of the “Belt and Road” initiative, and what the Confucius Institute represents from the beginning of the relationship between UoB and the University of Shanghai, as more than 5,000 Bahraini students have registered in the Chinese language courses, and more than 400 government employees have completed their studies in the Chinese language over the past nine years.

This came in the eighth closing ceremony of the Chinese language course for government and UoB employees, which was held on Thursday (March 16, 2023), in the presence of members of the Board of Directors of the Confucius Institute at UoB, employees participating in the Chinese language course, in addition to the children of UoB’s affiliates who joined the course.

In her speech that was broadcasted remotely, Dr. Al-Mudhahka stated, “I would like to express my deep appreciation for your efforts in the Chinese language courses, and I extend my warmest congratulations to you on your achievements.” As the ceremony witnessed the honoring of 28 students from government employees, a number of UoB’s affiliates, and four of their children, who successfully completed the Chinese language course in fall 2022, in addition to the participants in the “One Belt, One Road” training program.

For his part, the Vice President of UoB for Academic Programs and Graduate Studies, Director of the Confucius Institute – Bahraini side, Dr. Mohammed Reda Qader, expressed his appreciation and gratitude for the efforts of the professors at the Confucius Institute, and their dedication to work, which resulted in the success of the Chinese language courses.

He further added that learning languages is one of the fastest ways to get to know other cultures closely, stressing the University’s keenness and pleasure to offer foreign language courses, which provides students with opportunities to explore their professional development and create unlimited possibilities for their future careers.

The students’ speech was given by the student in the government employees’ program for learning the Chinese language, a training programs specialist in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Programs and Graduate Studies at UoB, Shaikha Rashid Al-Sheikh, who confirmed that, “My participation in the Chinese language courses and the training program (One Belt, One Road), helped me personally in developing my skills and having a better understanding of Chinese culture and its humanities.”.

In the same context, the Director of the Confucius Institute from the Chinese side, Dr. Zhu Xian Won, referred to the Institute’s efforts to provide an integrated educational experience, with new educational resources, to introduce students to the economic, technological and social aspects. In addition, she pointed to the students’ participation in the remote training program, which enhanced their opportunity to learn about Chinese culture and language, as well as introducing them to the Kingdom of Bahrain’s cultuer, in order to achieve cultural exchange.

The ceremony was attended by members of the Board of Directors of the Confucius Institute; Vice President for Community Service and Alumni Affairs, Dr. Mohammed Saleh Al-Ansari, Dean of the College of Arts, Dr. Abdulaziz Mohammed Bulaila, and Dr. Hayat Abdullah Youssef, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at the College of Engineering.