Welcoming ceremony
Li Jianqi, President of Human City University, speaks at the ceremony
Prof. Joseph Ampiah, Vice-Chancellor at University of Cape Coast, speaks at the ceremony
Thomas Baffour, Deputy Central Regional Minister of Ghana, speaks at the ceremony
Group photo of the welcoming ceremony attendees
The delegations tour the Hunan City University campus
The delegations visit the New-type Smart City Research Institute
The delegations have a close look at the 6-DOF robotic arm
The delegations visit the exhibition center for Yangwuling ancient ceramics
In the afternoon of November 3, 2017, the 15-people delegations of educators and Confucius Institute Council at University of Cape Coast (UCC), led by Prof. Joseph Ampiah, Vice-Chancellor of UCC, and Thomas Baffour, Deputy Central Regional Minister of Ghana, visited Hunan City University. Leadership of Hunan City University, including Li Jianqi, Xia Hongyu, Zheng Weimin, Liu Huihuang, Lei Cunxi, and Tan Xiangliang alongside heads of relevant departments attended the welcoming ceremony.
The welcoming ceremony hosted by Liu Huihuang, Vice President of Hunan City University. The ceremony started with the first year anniversary video shot by the UCC Confucius Institute, showing its developments over the past year.
The UCC Confucius Institute is China's 500th Confucius Institute opened overseas and is the first one founded in partnership with Hunan City University. Over the past year, the Institute has actively conducted Chinese language teaching and offered a variety of courses, including elective Chinese language courses for credits, Chinese language enhancement courses, Chinese classes for the immigration office staff, Chinese language classes for tourism professionals, and Chinese culture courses, having attracted more than 1,700 enrollments. In addition, over 2,000 people have registered for the Institute's Chinese cultural activities and Chinese Club. It is confirmed that UCC will soon introduce a Bachelor of Chinese program.
Li Jianqi, President of Hunan City University, extended a warm welcome to the delegations on behalf of the university. He said that since its establishment in June 2016, the UCC Confucius Institute has taken on the responsibilities to train up Chinese language teachers for primary and secondary schools and research institutions in Ghana, improved West African people's understanding of the Chinese language and culture, and strengthened economic and trade relations between China and Ghana through educational and cultural exchanges. Li noted that, as an important platform for Chinese language teaching and cultural exchanges between China and Ghana, the Institute has built a bridge of friendship between the two countries, and promoted the development of China-Ghana cultural ties as well. Li hoped that the two universities would work together more closely and cooperate in a wider range of areas to achieve common development and win-win results in response to China's "Belt and Road" initiative and Hunan's "innovation-driven opening-up" strategy.
Chen Lachun, Deputy Director at Yiyang Foreign Affairs Office & Tourism Bureau, extended his heartfelt welcome to the delegations on behalf of the municipality and shared the general information about the city of Yiyang.
Prof. Joseph Ampiah, Vice-Chancellor of UCC, expressed his gratitude to Hunan City University for their hospitality on behalf of the delegations. He introduced the basic situation of UCC and highly appreciated the developments of the Institute, believing that it has played an important role in cultural and academic exchanges between China and Ghana with the support from the two universities. Professor Ampiah hoped that the two universities can deepen their cooperation to achieve better results.
Thomas Baffour, Deputy Central Regional Minister of Ghana, described the basic situation in the Central Region and hoped that Hunan City University can work more broadly with the Central Region.
Prior to the welcoming ceremony, the two delegations visited the New-type Smart City Research Institute, Yangwuling ancient ceramics exhibition center, and Hunan culture and art museum at Hunan City University.
According to the schedule for the 13-day visit, the delegations will attend the second meeting of the UCC Confucius Institute Council, China-Ghana international symposium on educational cooperation and development, and a lecture on Chinese tea culture. They will also visit Mao Zedong's Former Residence and Yiyang High-Tech Industrial Development Zone. (By Ding Shan)
