This year, 6 young men and women came from the People's Republic of China as volunteers to teach Chinese. Yi Kesing, Zhang Runxuan and Liu Yimin conducted classes for students at the Confucius Institute at the Skorina State University, and Zhao Dongmei and Ji Jinxuan - in Gomel “Gymnasium No. 71” and “Gymnasium No. 56 named after A.A. Vishnevsky "respectively. In addition, one of the volunteers, Yang Zhifeng, carried out training at the Mozyr State Pedagogical University named after I.P. Shamyakin. All young people are graduates of Chinese pedagogical institutes, who got a chance to undergo a practice in the Republic of Belarus.
Rector of Gomel State University Sergey Khakhomov in a solemn atmosphere thanked the volunteers for the work done. In addition to direct teaching of the Chinese language, teachers took an active part in organizing and holding republican and international conferences and competitions, student festivals and many other scientific, cultural and socially significant events. It is worth noting that among the listeners in the groups for the study of the Chinese language were not only schoolchildren, high school students and students, but also teachers and university staff, representatives of organizations and enterprises, residents of the city of Gomel. “Teaching Chinese to groups of students is, first of all, a great experience for you. The acquired knowledge and skills that you will use in your future activities at home will undoubtedly contribute to the strengthening of Belarusian-Chinese relations,”Sergei Anatolyevich noted during a meeting with Chinese volunteers.
The Confucius Institute, founded after the signing of the Agreement between the Main Directorate of Confucius Institutes in China and the Francisk Skorina Gomel State University, has been successfully operating for more than 2 years. The University has equipped the necessary areas for the Institute and has selected highly qualified personnel from both the Chinese and Belarusian sides. The results of the activity can be called excellent: the students of the courses are winners and prize-winners of various degrees of the III Belarusian Republican Student Olympiad in the Chinese language, the national stage of the XIII World Competition "Bridge of the Chinese Language" among students of general secondary education institutions of the Republic of Belarus, a competition of scientific, educational and creative works, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the proclamation of the PRC, etc. In addition, the activities of the Confucius Institute were extensively presented at the international exhibition "Contemporary Children's Book of China". Obviously, the practice of such volunteering is paying off. Representatives of the Confucius Institute and the Skorina State University of Russia hope that the partnership will continue in the future, thereby deepening the socio-cultural communications between Belarus and China.
Andrey VELIKIY
