“The Confucius Institute at UCC held a cultural performance on June 17, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. in honour of the delegation from Hunan. The event took place at the Naana Opoku Agyeman Auditorium, in the Amissah Arthur Language Center building at the University of Cape Coast.
The Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast is the second Confucius Institute established in Ghana by Hanban, now known as the Chinese Centre for Language Education and Cooperation. It was established through a collaboration between Hunan City University, the Chinese partner university, and the University of Cape Coast. CIUCC aims to facilitate the teaching of the Chinese language and culture and promote cultural exchanges between China and Ghana. Within two years of its establishment, CIUCC has achieved remarkable results, thanks to strong leadership and support from the Chinese Centre for Language Education and Cooperation.
Dignitaries from Hunan Province attended the event, including Dr. Wang Jianhua, Deputy Director of Hunan Provincial Department of Education; Prof. He Zhen, President of Hunan City University; Dr. Jiang Yangfei, President of Hunan Vocational College of Science and Technology; Prof. Chen Guanghui, Vice President of Hunan Agricultural University; Prof. Xu Hongzhai, lecturer at the School of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, Hunan City University; and Prof. Ding Ming, Director of International Exchange Programs at Hunan City University. Dignitaries from the University of Cape Coast also attended, including Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, the Vice-Chancellor; Mrs. Elizabeth Yankah, the Administrative Secretary to the Vice-Chancellor; Prof. Akwasi Kumi-Kyireme, Dean of the Faculty of Social sciences, Mr. Reginald George Quartey, Acting Director of Curriculum Directorate (NaCCA), Mr. Tang Hong, President of the Ghana Association of Chinese Societies, and Mr. Yang Qun, Chairman of the Chinese Enterprises Chamber of Commerce, were present. The event also saw the participation of heads and teachers from various Chinese teaching centers.
The welcome ceremony began with the national anthems of China and Ghana playing. Prof. OU Yamei, the China Director of CIUCC, delivered an opening remark to formally welcome the delegation and invited guests, expressing her profound gratitude to Director Wang and his delegation from the Hunan Provincial Department of Education.
In his speech, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, promised that the university management would continue to collaborate with Hunan City University and the Hunan Provincial Department of Education to foster the continued growth and development of CIUCC. He also commended the students for their relentless pursuit of knowledge and unwavering commitment to artistic expression.
Dr. Wang Jinhua congratulated the successful opening of the Chinese Cultural Week of the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast. Prof. He Zhen gave a brief introduction to Hunan City University and expressed his deepest appreciation, saying, “A single thread does not make a thread, and a single tree does not make a forest.” These achievements are inseparable from the strong support of the Ministry of Education Ghana, the Chinese Embassy, the University of Cape Coast, and various overseas Chinese groups, enterprises, and individuals in Ghana, who have witnessed the cooperation between China and Ghana.
The Cultural Week celebration featured a selection of Chinese and Ghanaian cultural displays. The audience was captivated by the Martial Arts performance by the students of the University Primary School. The students also impressed the audience with their storytelling skills in the Chinese language, demonstrating their proficiency.
Prof. Ishmael Mensah delivered the closing address and expressed gratitude to the delegations from Hunan Provincial Education and Hunan City University for their support of the Confucius Institute.” The masters of ceremony for the event were Dr Isaac Ibrahim and Ms. Jiang Pei Yun.
Article by : Miss Adelaide Kissi
Edited by : Prof Ishmael Mensah