Joint Conference of Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms in South Africa Held in Johannesburg

On 9 June, the Joint Conference of Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms in South Africa was held at the University of Johannesburg. The conference was attended by Wu Tong, Deputy Director of the Department of Policy and Development and the Department of Programme Funding at the Chinese International Education Foundation; Fan Ding, Education Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in South Africa; and directors of Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms across the country. Participants exchanged views on topics including the use of artificial intelligence in Chinese language education, the development of specialised “Chinese Plus” programmes, and the training of local teachers.

During the conference, Sun Haofeng, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute for Chinese Medicine at the University of the Western Cape, and Wu Changhong, its South African Director, delivered a presentation on Chinese language curriculum development and local teacher training. They also shared the Institute’s achievements and practical experience in recent years.

Participants agreed that Confucius Institutes should further strengthen their role as platforms for educational and cultural exchange between China and South Africa. They also called for greater exploration of innovative approaches to Chinese language education in the age of artificial intelligence, stronger local teaching teams, and continuous improvements in the quality and sustainability of Chinese language education. These efforts will contribute to deeper mutual understanding and cultural exchange between the peoples of China and South Africa.