KU’s Confucius local teachers are backbone of Institute, says Professor Zhang Xiaoping

The Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi, Professor Zhang Xiaoping, who is on a short trip to Karachi, visited the campus on Wednesday. He met the KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi, registrar, deans, chairpersons, directors and faculty of various departments and institutes, and students at the Multipurpose Hall of the KU’s HEJ.

While addressing the audience, Professor Zhang Xiaoping mentioned that the CIUK has long been a beacon of cultural exchange and academic collaboration, fostering a deeper understanding between our two nations. This success would not have been possible without the unwavering support of both the University of Karachi and Sichuan Normal University.

“The three years I spent working at the Confucius Institute here at the University of Karachi have given me lasting friendships and best memories, and Karachi has truly become like a second home to me.”

He said that the tragic attack on the KU’s Confucius Institute on April 26, 2022, deeply saddened us all. Since resuming my role as Director, I have reflected on how we can move forward and continue our mission in these challenging times.

Professor Zhang Xiaoping mentioned that over the past two years, with the joint efforts of both sides, CIUK has resumed programs and attracted more students to learn Chinese. We have found renewed confidence and an even stronger commitment to strengthening the bonds between our nations.

He termed that the Pakistani teachers at the CIUK are the backbone of the institute and play a very vital role in promoting the Chinese language in the absence of Chinese teachers. He added that Chinese teachers are not physically present in the classrooms but available online all the time for the students and CIUK.

He expressed that the unwavering support leadership and vision of the KU VC Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi have been instrumental in the success of the Confucius Institute. He says, “It is through your guidance and commitment to fostering international collaboration that we have been able to bridge cultures and promote mutual understanding between our countries. It is also because of your suggestion that I make this visit to the University of Karachi.”

On this occasion, the KU VC Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi said that the main objective of the Confucius Institute is to introduce and promote the Chinese Language to our students.

He mentioned that nowadays, China has emerged as a major global economy and also plays a vital role in the fields of science and technology. He observed that the awareness of the Chinese language and culture will be helpful for the KU’s students.

He mentioned that the whole world is getting benefits from learning from others’ experiences and we should also learn and implement good policies and practices in our society. We need to connect with the rest of the world and learning their languages and culture would be necessary in this regard.

He said that Pakistan has an ideal relationship with China, and lauded that the Chinese nation has made unmatchable progress in the economic field. We need to learn from them to make progress in the economic field.

Earlier, the Director CIUK Professor Dr Muhammad Nasiruddin Khan said that one question that was very common after the departure of Chinese faculty after the unfortunate April 26, 2022, incident, that when Chinese teachers are coming back, so, we can say that today Professor Zhang Xiaoping is here. This time he is on a short visit but he will be in Pakistan for a longer duration soon.

He mentioned that Professor Zhang is a dedicated, devoted, and hardworking person, and above all, he is a very nice human being. When Professor Zhang Xiaoping took charge of the International Office at SNU, as director, only two CIs were partnered with his university, but now two more CIs are established with SNU, one in the Eastern African country Djibouti and the other in the Czech Republic in central Europe and soon in Kazakhstan, central Asia.

Professor Dr Nasir Khan gives credit to Professor Xiaoping and said that these successes are due to his great services not only to his university and his country but for education, particularly in the discipline of linguistics.

He said that today, CIUK stands out globally as a unique example, utilizing a hybrid model of teaching with local and Chinese faculty. Eight local Chinese teachers, six professors from SNU, and more than 20 volunteer Chinese teachers for online classes are engaged in teaching assignments. Currently, more than 3,000 students are learning the Chinese language from CIUK and its teaching sites per year.