On October 16 local time, the 2019 Joint Conference of Confucius Institutes in the Caribbean Region hosted by the Confucius Institute Headquarters was held in the Confucius Institute constructed by TYUT at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Jamaica. Tian Qi, Chinese Ambassador to Jamaica; Guo Jiaoyang, Director of the Department of North America and Oceania Confucius Institutes of Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters; Dale Webber, Principal of the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies; the Chinese and Foreign Directors and representatives of teachers and students of the Confucius Institute; Chinese and foreign responsible persons of 8 Confucius Institutes and Classrooms in the Caribbean attended the conference.
Guo Jiaoyang pointed out in her address that Chinese as a credit course has been included in the official curriculums of the universities, middle and primary schools in the Caribbean region where the 7 Confucius Institutes and 2 Confucius Classrooms are located. And the Confucius Institutes have become an important platform for local people to learn Chinese and understand the Chinese culture. The first Confucius Institute in the Caribbean has been running for 15 years, and the Confucius Institutes in the Caribbean as a whole enjoy a good growth momentum. The Headquarters will continue to provide support in funds and personnel to the Confucius Institutes in the region. It is hoped that the Chinese and foreign parties could further strengthen their cooperation and work together to build the Confucius Institutes.
Tian Qi pointed out in his speech that the Confucius Institutes are an important platform for language and cultural exchanges and have played an important role in promoting friendly cooperation between China and Jamaica and helping the Jamaican people learn Chinese and understand the Chinese society and culture.
Dale Webber stated in his speech that the Chinese courses provided by TYUT Confucius Institute have promoted UWI’s multilingual and multidisciplinary construction and are an important driving force for UWI to implement its Caribbean-based globalization strategy.
During the conference, participants have discussed in groups topics such as improving the quality of Chinese teaching in the Confucius Institutes, creating Confucius Institute brand programs, diversifying the funding sources of the Confucius Institutes, improving the fund use efficiency, strengthening the internal management of the Confucius Institutes and preventing operational risks etc. Guo Jiaoyang interacted with the participants in the discussions.
