Two lecturers from the Confucius Institute of Aveiro University, Chen Xiaoping and Kang Siyu, have received the “Volunteer Teacher of Excellence 2020” award from the Sino-foreign language exchange and cooperation centre, the university revealed.
“The Confucius Institute (IC-UA) has seen its work recognised internationally with the award of another prize, a few days before celebrating its 6th anniversary,” said a press release from Aveiro University on Wednesday, regarding the distinction granted by the Centre for Sino-foreign Language Exchange and Cooperation (formerly Hanban, China).
That institute of the University of Aveiro had already been distinguished on other occasions, with the awards “Cultural Merit 2016”, given by the League of Chinese in Portugal, “Best Creation in the 11th Chinese Language Proficiency Contest for Foreign High School Students”, awarded by Hanban to its student Francisco Silva (Kunming, 2018), “Confucius of the Year 2018”, awarded by Hanban (Chengdu, 2018) and “Director of the Year”, awarded by Hanban to Carlos Morais (Changsha, 2019),
Inaugurated on 23 April 2015, the IC-UA’s main missions are “to support and promote the teaching of Chinese language and culture in Portugal, to strengthen cooperation in the educational field between China and Portugal and to develop research activities within the scope of Sino-Portuguese relations, which contribute to improving mutual understanding and friendship between these two distant countries, but united by centuries-old historical relations”.
The sixth anniversary of the Confucius Institute of the University of Aveiro will be marked by the planting of a Ginkgo biloba (a tree originally from China, considered a living fossil) and the inauguration of an artwork allusive to the anniversary, by José Oliveira.
Also part of the programme is the 7th session of Routes to the East (Rotas a Oriente) conferences with the participation of professors Luís Filipe Barreto (University of Lisbon), Fernanda Ilhéu and Joana Campos (Friends of the New Silk Road and University of Lisbon), the launch of the first of a series of eight videos on Chinese gastronomy, entitled “Paladares da cozinha chinesa: oito regiões, oito sabores” and the presentation of the Instagram and youtube channel of the IC-UA.
