UWI, Bangor University, and Bucharest University students attend 2017 Confucius Institute Summer Camp

Project narrative

From July 13, 2017 until the end of the month, the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) hosted the the Confucius Institute Summer Camp. The camp was attended by students and teachers from the Confucius Institute at the University of the West Indies' Cave Hill Campus. Students and teachers from the Confucius Institutes at Bangor University and Bucharest University also attended, with a total of 46 participants between the three attending institutions. Eleven officials from the Ministry of Education of Barbados and the Caribbean Examination Council were also present at the event. While this was the fourth Confucius Institute Summer Camp hosted by CUPL overall, it was the second that was attended by UWI students. The camp focused on Chinese language education and encouraging the students to engage with and experience Chinese culture. Activities occurred in both Beijing and Suzhou, and included classes on topics such as Mandarin, tea art, local culture, the Chinese education system, the history and culture of Suzhou, paper-cutting, incense burning and sachets, calligraphy, and fan-painting. Students also visited museums, various schools and campuses, Confucius Institute Headquarters, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, Qianmen Street, Humble Administrators’ Garden (Zhuozheng Yuan), Tiger Hill, Shantang Street, and Taihu Wetland Park.