The Philippine Embassy in Beijing reported on the recent visit to Beijing of 50 students from the three (3) Confucius Institutes in the Philippines, namely, the Angeles University Foundation (AUF), Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), and Bulacan State University (BSU), in celebration of the 2012-2013 Philippines-China Years of Friendly Exchanges.
The Philippine delegation, who is in China from 04 to 09 May 2012, was headed by Department of Education Assistant Secretary Jesus Mateo and Dr. Lourdes Nepomuceno, Philippine Director of Confucius Institutes.
Billed as “Chinese Bridge Summer Camp”, the visit allowed the Filipino students to practice their Mandarin language speaking skills and experience first-hand Chinese cuisine and culture. The students are also scheduled to visit their counterpart universities in China, i.e., the students of AUF will visit Fujian Normal University in Fuzhou City; ADMU students will go to Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou; and BSU students will meet their counterparts in Northwest University in Xi’an.
During the group’s call on Philippine Embassy Chargé d’ Affaires Alex Chua on 7 May 2012, Dr. Nepomuceno elaborated on the growing interest of students in the Philippines to study Mandarin, while noting the great support extended by the Philippine Department of Education. Mr. Chua welcomed the cultural immersion in China of Filipino students as it “cultivates mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries.”
The government of the People's Republic of China, through the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban), has established Confucius Institutes around the world for the promotion of Chinese language and culture.
