During The Second Meeting of The Fourth Council of The Confucius Institute UoB And Shanghai University Discuss Enhancing Cooperation in The Fields of Knowledge and Academia

Sakhir – University of Bahrain (Khadijah Abdusalem)

13 July 2023

The University of Bahrain (UoB) and Shanghai University discussed strengthening strategic relations, cooperation and knowledge and academic exchange existing between the two universities, during the second meeting of the Fourth Confucius Institute Council, which was held through visual communication.

The President of UoB, Dr. Fuad Mohammed Al-Ansari, praised the efforts of Shanghai University and the members of the Council for their sponsorship and continuous support for the development of the Confucius Institute at UoB. He also pointed to the students’ acquisition of a deep understanding of Chinese customs, traditions and values, as well as language skills, stressing that understanding Chinese culture and learning the Chinese language will enhance their competitive advantage in their future career, especially with the increasing importance of China and its position in the global economy.

For his part, Vice President of the Shanghai University, OuYang Hua, expressed his happiness with the Institute’s efforts, looking forward to seeing more of its contributions in teaching the Chinese language and promoting educational and cultural exchanges between China and Bahrain, stressing that, “The University of Bahrain is an important partner of Shanghai University , and the Confucius Institute has achieved – since Its establishment – a remarkable success in Chinese language teaching, cultural exchange, and community services.”.

Moreover, the UoB President and the Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute, Gu Qianwen, reviewed a summary on the Institute’s work, the financial report for the year 2022, in addition to the work plan and the budget report for the year 2023.

From the Chinese side, the meeting was attended by the Director of the Office of the Confucius Institute Xu Xiaohong, Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange at Shanghai University Cui Wei, Director of the College of International Education Li Yingjie, newly appointed Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute Zhou Jian, Supervisor of the Audit Office Xiaoping. While from the Bahraini side, it was attended by the Vice President for Academic Programs and Postgraduate Studies, Dr. Mohammed Reda Qader, and the Dean of the College of Arts at UoB, Dr. Abdulaziz Mohammed Bulaila.

It is worth noting that the Confucius Institute was established in 2014, through the collaborative efforts of Shanghai University and UOB, and it is the only Chinese language education center that offers the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) in the Kingdom of Bahrain, which is the only language test accredited in China for non-Chinese speakers. Also, it has become the largest platform for learning the Chinese language, as it teaches the Chinese language to about a thousand university students, in addition to offering courses in the Chinese language for affiliates of a number of ministries.