Confucius Institute celebrates its first five years

On Wednesday, Sept. 18, the Confucius Institute (CI) at Wayne State will host a celebration to commemorate its first five years at the university. The event, which will be held in the McGregor Memorial Conference Center between 1 and 5 p.m., alongside the Global Festival, will showcase its various programs and events while offering entertainment, games, prizes and information to the entire university community.

The celebration will begin at noon with a one-hour, VIP luncheon and conclude with a dinner at 5 p.m recognizing local K-12 Chinese language educators. Between 1 and 5 p.m., the Institute will open the celebration to Wayne State students, faculty, staff and the general public, offering information on the CI's campus-based learning and cultural resources as well as study and travel opportunities in China.

Established in January 2008 within the WSU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Confucius Institute promotes Chinese language and culture to K-12 schools, the university community, and professional communities throughout southeastern Michigan and beyond. With the support of Hanban: Chinese Language Council International and Wayne State's partnering Chinese institution, Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, the institute provides a multitude of programs and resources that assist individuals and organizations in their pursuit of learning Mandarin Chinese and in learning about Chinese culture.

"A lot of people ask about what we do here, and it's very difficult to answer them with a quick sound bite. Our Fifth Anniversary Celebration is a chance to spend a day letting people know about our many exciting programs and to answer any questions they may have," said CI Director John Brender. Brender added, "We're happy with the progress we've made over the past five years and hope this celebration will provide additional awareness of the opportunities we offer."

Contact: John Brender, 313- 577-0153, ci@wayne.edu.