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Confucius Institute opens in Brest

BREST, 4 November (BelTA) – A Confucius Institute has opened at Pushkin Brest State University, co-director of the institute from the Belarusian side Anzhela Saidi told BelTA.

The institute was established on the basis of the Center for Chinese Studies operating at the university. An entire wing of the third floor of the main university building was allocated for the institute. Its total area is over 400m2. The institute includes four classrooms of different sizes, a language laboratory equipped in line with international standards (certified exams in the Chinese language can be held there), a teacher’s room (it includes a library and a resource center with about 1,500 publications). In addition, there is a conference hall that can accommodate up to 60 people.

“In May 2019, we signed an agreement with Anhui University and the Confucius Institute Headquarters to establish such an institute in our university,” she informed. A Chinese co-director of the Confucius Institute, a teacher from China and two volunteers came to Brest in December. Back then, the first groups of learners were enrolled from among students. This week they are to take their final exam in the elementary spoken Chinese language. The project is financed equally by Pushkin Brest State University and Anhui University, Anzhela Saidi informed.

The Confucius Institute offers the Chinese language courses not only for students. There are plans to enroll children, school children and adults.

“Registration for a new group is now underway. This group will have no more than 10 people. Students of the Geography Faculty majoring in Tourism and Hospitality and students of the Faculty of Mathematics are also enrolled. Two more groups started their classes a week ago. We now have one Chinese teacher. We are waiting for three more, one of whom is supposed to arrive by the end of November, the rest in December. As they arrive, new groups will be put together,” the co-director of the institute said.

The Confucius Institute at Pushkin Brest State University became the fifth in Belarus. In total, there are about 550 such facilities in the world and about 1,200 classes in more than 160 countries where a total of more than 2 million people study the Chinese language.

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