China and Egypt Thursday signed an agreement in Cairo on jointly
establishing a Confucius Institute in Egypt's Cairo University.
The agreement was signed by Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Wu Sike,
on behalf of the Office of Chinese Language Council International,
and the representative of famed Cairo University.
Wu noted at the occasion that the agreement will make Cairo
University, one of the most prestigious universities in the Arab
world and in Africa, host the first Confucius Institute in
Egypt.
Egyptians are becoming increasingly interested in knowing China
and learning the Chinese language thanks to a significant increase
of bilateral exchanges in political, economic and educational
fields, said Wu.
He said that although several famed Egyptian universities
including Cairo University, Al-Azhar University, Ain Shams
University and Suez Canal University have all set up
Chinese-language departments, yet educational institutions in Egypt
could hardly deal with an ever-growing number of Egyptian students
who want to learn Chinese.
The Confucius Institute in Cairo University, once set up, will
offer a series of Chinese-language programs to various Egyptian
learners and offer training to Chinese-language teachers for
primary and middle schools as well as colleges, said the Chinese
ambassador.
According to the agreement, the Office of Chinese Language
Council International will grant Cairo University a sum between
US$50,000 and US$100,000 to jump-start the establishment of the
Confucius Institute.
The office will also provide multimedia teaching materials to
Cairo University, while China's Peking University will send
Chinese-language teachers to Cairo for the Confucius Institute,
said Wu.
"Promoting Chinese-language teaching in Egypt will certainly
facilitate exchange and cooperation in all fields between Egypt and
China," Wu added.
Last September, Cairo University, set up in 1908, set up a
Chinese-language department and began to teach Chinese in
October,2004.
The Egyptian university signed a letter of intent with the
Office of Chinese Language Council International on setting up a
Confucius Institute.
Confucius, born in BC 551, was a great Chinese thinker,
philosopher, statesman and educator. He was also the founder of
Confucianism.
Advocating the building of a harmonious society through
individuals' self-refinement in manners and taste, Confucianism
dominated the Chinese society for centuries and was spread to
Europe in the late 16th century.
In an effort to promote the Chinese language and Chinese culture
abroad, the Chinese government plans to set up at least 100
Confucius Institutes around the world to help foreigners learn
Chinese.
(Xinhua News Agency March 9, 2007)
