PEKAN: Universiti Malaysia Pahang's (UMP) Confucius Institute (CI) will serve as a Mandarin language hub to help undergraduates expand their communication skills, as well as providing much-needed and value-added opportunities for job placement.
UMP vice-chancellor Professor Dr Wan Azhar Wan Yusoff said the newly-launched institute will play an important role not only in helping to enhance students’ command of Mandarin, but also in providing a teaching and learning syllabus in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
"The institute offers the Mandarin-Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) certification, a globally-recognised Chinese language proficiency test that measures the ability of non-native speakers, to all Malaysians. Training services to Mandarin language teachers will be offered, and it will serve as a Mandarin language research centre for teaching materials.
"The institute will engage in student exchange programmes involving UMP students to universities in China to expose undergraduates to the cultures and communities (there)," he said during the opening the UMP CI here by the Education Ministry's Policy Planning and Coordination Division secretary, Normah Osman.
Wan Azhar said the support shown by the Higher Education Minister, the Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) and the Hebei University to set up the UMP CI is a great recognition for the university, and will help expand cooperation between both countries.
Also present were China’s Cultural Affairs director in Malaysia Feng Jun, Hebei University vice-president Professor Dr Shen Shigang, Confucius Institute China director Professor Gui Fuliang and UMP CI director Yong Ying Mei.
Meanwhile, Normah praised the move by UMP and Hebei University, and said she expects the CI to serve as a hub for cultural exchange, economic development and the strengthening of knowledge in the science and technology fields of both countries.
"Being a technical university, I hope UMP will take the opportunity to (ensure) the CI (engages in the sharing of) technical expertise, technology transfer, development and research, as well as product commercialisation.
"This move will help turn Malaysia into an international education hub by promoting language and cultural exchange, as well as student and staff mobility programmes," she said.
Normah added that there are currently three CIs in Malaysia, namely Universiti Malaya, Segi University and Universiti Malaysia Sabah, which contribute significantly to Mandarin language learning and cultural exchange between Malaysia and China.
Meanwhile, Feng Jun said that there are 530 CIs in 155 countries around the world; while in Malaysia, the first CI at Universiti Malaya was set up 10 years ago.