Unimas to set up Confucius Institute for Chinese Language Studies
KUCHING: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak ( Unimas) officially signed a memorandum of understanding ( MoU) with Yunnan University in Kunming, China for the establishment of the first Confucius Institute for Chinese Language Studies in East Malaysia.
The MoU was signed by Unimas Board of Directors chairman Datu Dr Hatta Solhi, while Yunnan University was represented by its University Council chairman Professor Yang Lin.
The signing ceremony held in Yunnan was witnessed by Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, governor of Yunnan Province Ruan Chengfa, State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani, Unimas vice- chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi, and China’s consulgeneral in Kuching, Fu Jijun.
The MoU formalises the cooperation between Unimas and Yunnan University in setting up the Confucius Institute of Chinese Language Studies at Unimas, which is in its final stage.
Yunnan University, founded in 1932, is one of the top universities in China and serves as a good role model for Unimas in various areas. Once established, the institute will function as a hub for promoting Chinese language learning and cultural exchange within the region as well as student and staff mobility programmes between the two universities.
More importantly, with the status of Kuching as Kunming’s sister city, the institute will play a productive role in bilateral cooperation and friendship between China and Malaysia.
Present at the signing ceremony were key officials from Yunnan province and the state governments, senior management and academics of Yunnan University, and representative of Unimas Confucius Institute working committee.