The Chinese government ansd US educators lit one small candle yesterday, opening the first Confucius Institute in the US state of Georgia.
The Confucius Institute in Atlanta is part of a fast-growing international network of cultural centers supported through grants from the Chinese government to promote cultural understanding. The center is a joint project between Nanjing University, Emory University and Atlanta Public Schools.
Not only the first Confucius Institute in the State of Georgia and the southeastern US, it is also the first and only one in the United States to be jointly administered by a private American university and a public school system.
"This is a special occasion for all of us who are committed to international education," said Emory President James Wagner. "Ultimately our aim is to enhance the understanding between the peoples of our different nations and cultures - truly an exalted and noble goal."
Housed in Atlanta's Sammye E. Coan Middle School near the Emory campus, the Confucius Institute in Atlanta is "designed to be a gateway to Chinese language and culture for individuals, families, communities and schools in metro Atlanta and the surrounding area," says Rong Cai, associate professor of Chinese and the inaugural director of the institute.
The Confucius Institute in Atlanta will help introduce instruction in standard Chinese throughout the state of Georgia and foster knowledge of Chinese language and culture.
"In today's environment, where intellectual capital can be video conferenced, e-mailed, faxed or flown in, the school district's charge is to produce scholarly citizens of the world," says Atlanta Public Schools superintendent Beverly Hall.
Source: China Daily
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article