Speech on the Opening Ceremony of the Confucius Institute At University of Cape Coast
Prof. Li Jianqi, President of Hunan City University
2nd June 2016
Distinguished Chairman and Vice Chancellor,
Most honorable Ambassador of the Republic of China to Ghana,
Honorable Ministers of State,
Royal Chiefs,
Professors and Lecturers,
Students,
Invited Guests,
Ladies and gentlemen, good morning!
My warmest welcome to all of you!
With best wishes from 20,000 students and working staff of Hunan City University to University of Cape Coast, we feel very honored to have the opportunity coming from China to this beautiful city of Cape Coast, to witness together with all of you present here the official founding of Confucius Institute in University of Cape Coast !
As President of Hunan City University, I feel deeply proud that our university has the opportunity to co-establish Confucius Institute with such a famous university as University of Cape Coast.
Here, on behalf of Hunan City University, I would like to extend our warmest congratulations to all of us for the establishment of Confucius Institute in University of Cape Coast. At the same time, I would also like to deliver our heartfelt appreciation to those who have made great efforts and have played an important role in promoting the establishment of the Confucius Institute in University of Cape Coast, especially the Chief Executive—Ms. Xu Lin, and the other directors of the Confucius Institute Headquarters, Ms. Sun Baohong, Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China in the Republic of Ghana and other working staff from China and Ghana. I should also specially extend my thanks to those at the University of Cape Coast who, for several years, have been working hard and persistently for the establishment of the Confucius Institute with Hunan City University as her partner; these include present and former Vice Chancellors, Pro Vice Chancellors and Registrars, CIE present and former directors, especially the director who originated the proposal for the Institute, and all the others concerning any activities of the Confucius Institute. Furthermore, I highly appreciate all that have been done for the successful Opening Ceremony and the Start-up of the Confucius Institute by the Board Directors and the Organizing Committee members of the University of Cape Coast. I am sure that, all of you, certainly including myself, are witnessing and will finally witness the success of the Confucius Institute of the University of Cape Coast.
At this point, please allow me to briefly introduce Confucius to you. Confucius was a great Chinese educator and famous thinker of 2000 years ago. His educational thought has nurtured the Chinese people from generation to generation, which is one of the world’s most precious cultural heritages. For example, Confucius put forward a thought that everyone has the equal right to education, regardless of his or her background or social status, which has been recognized by the people all over the world and is still of great significance till now. So far, 500 Confucius Institutes and 1000 Confucius Classrooms have been established in 134 countries and regions of the world. As the messenger of Chinese culture, Confucius Institute plays an important role of bridge and link in promoting overseas Chinese teaching, enhancing Sino-foreign cultural and educational cooperation, and increasing friendship between China and overseas countries.
As the Chinese cooperative partner of the Confucius Institute in University of Cape Coast, Hunan City University is an applied comprehensive university of over 50 years’ history, which is first named after city in inland China. Hunan City University has a unique advantage and a strong and positive influence on the majors and fields of urban planning, urban design, urban management, international Chinese language education and so on.
Based on the principle of mutual respect, friendly consultation, equality and mutual benefit, Hunan City University would like to make joint effort with University of Cape Coast to set up a productive and characteristic Confucius Institute. With the tremendous support of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Ghana and Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) , working with University of Cape Coast, we have full confidence in making every effort to run Confucius Institute well, so as to make significant and lasting contributions to promoting Sino-Ghananian economic and cultural exchange, to increase friendship, and to strengthen world peace.
As well, I would like to take this opportunity to make an appeal to Ghana’s young students to learn the Chinese language and understand China’s culture, science and technology, so as to seek the intellectual nutrition and resources you need. At the same time, you are warmly welcome to come to China to study in Hunan City University, so that you could become the friendly cultural mediators between Ghana and China.
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, along with continuously deepening of economic globalization, cultural and technological interflow, exchange and interaction of different cultures, friendly communication between the peoples of the world has been the important way to promote civilization, development and social progress. Hereby, I would like to assure you of our sincere wishes for a smooth development of Confucius Institute in University of Cape Coast; best wishes for productive cooperative progress between Hunan City University and University of Cape Coast. We wish all the guests and friends present here good health and every happiness. May friendship between China and Ghana remain evergreen.
Thank you all !