A Duo of Directors of the Confucius Institute at the University of Colombo (CIUC) visited the UGC Chairman
The Chinese and Sri Lankan Directors of the CIUC visited Chairman of the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka on 03rd May 2023. Senior Professor Sampath Amaratunge, Chairman of the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka, warmly welcomed both Directors and he congratulated Professor Ma Zhongwu on his appointment as the Chinese Director of the CIUC. He mentioned that he is looking forward for a greater achievements in cooperation among universities in China and Sri Lanka as well as educational and cultural exchanges and many more under the CIUC leadership.
During the conversation UGC Chairman recalled his visits to Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and other Chinese universities during his tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayawardhanepura. He further said Sri Lankan universities should establish strong cooperation and collaboration with famous and high level universities in China in the future.
Professor Ma Zhongwu, Chinese Director of the CIUC, and Sri Lankan Director Dr. Anuththaradevi Widyalankara expressed their gratitude towards the Chairman-UGC Senior Professor Sampath Amaratunge for giving that great opportunity to discuss matters which are productive to both parties. Directors of the CIUC expected to receive more support and guidance from the UGC to establish teaching spots at other universities in the Island as well as to conduct programmes such as Chinese language teaching and China – Sri Lanka cultural exchanges.
The CIUC has established six teaching spots so far including, the Chinese teaching spot at the University of Peradeniya, the University of Ruhuna, the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka, the Chinese teaching spot at Chamber of Commerce in Hambanthota, Horana Vidyarathana Pirivena, and the one that recently established at the Huazhu center – The Sri Lanka Overseas Chinese Service Center. The CIUC offers multi-mode of Chinese language courses for aforementioned teaching spots.
After years of its establishment, the Confucius Institute at the University of Colombo has reached to the status of becoming the Confucius Institute with the largest number of teaching spots and the widest coverage in Sri Lanka and has become an important platform of serving Chinese language educational and Chinese cultural exchanges and cooperation between China-Sri Lanka. The Confucius Institute at the University of Colombo has been widely welcomed and appreciated by the local society in Sri Lanka.
