On Monday, 20th November 2023, a delegation from Dongbei University of Finance and Economics (DUFE) from Dalian, representatives of Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, and participants in the Chinese Bridge speech contest joined the opening ceremony of the Chinese Teacher Certificate Test and Training Centre (CTC) at Confucius Institute Maastricht (CIM). From 2024 onwards, anyone from the Euregion who is interested in becoming a Chinese language teacher and pursuing a global career can join a CTC training or take the CTC exam at CIM.
CIM currently hosts two CTC-certified trainee teachers, Chang Lou and Yue Zang, who had the opportunity to share their inspiring journeys of overcoming challenges and fostering top quality Chinese language education in the Netherlands: “During the training they taught us how to make our courses better to meet the needs of Dutch students. I learned a lot during the training, so I believe that CTC will help more people who want to become a Chinese teacher. The training has allowed me to identify issues and improve my teaching.”
Kateryna Shcherbakova, who teaches Chinese both at CIM and Zuyd, added “I fell head over heels for this captivating language, falling in love with it completely and realizing it would become a lifelong passion.” By taking a Chinese language and education teacher training she was able to follow her passion to teach Chinese wherever she goes.
Mirthe Fischer, the winner of the Dutch finals of the 22nd Chinese Bridge speech contest, joined collaboration with CIM teacher Jin Xin for a spellbinding musical performance. Combining the traditional hulusi and the elegant violin, they performed the classic Chinese piece “Jasmine Flower.” This musical collaboration of hulusi and violin echoed the spirit of cross-cultural unity. Director Xinxin Wang commented that “hulusi and violin are from different musical families; it takes a lot of practice to learn both. Yet, there is always a way to work together and create empowering and harmonious music. This mirrors our work – through learning and practice, we can craft beautiful melodies together.”
The chairman of Zuyd, Mr André Postema, and the president of DUFE, Mr Fang Hongxing, congratulated the CIM team for this achievement and encouraged the audience to continue building “one world one family”.
CIM’s vision
Confucius Institute Maastricht is a Chinese language institute, co-founded by Zuyd and DUFE. Our mission is to offer top quality language learning. Click here to find more.
At Confucius Institute Maastricht, we believe that education is the solution to face global challenges. Learning a language and culture can broaden perspectives about the world and enhance social inclusion in our community. This will also help individuals and companies develop a good relationship with Chinese–speaking partners and increase employability in the international market.
Besides these activities, CIM also organises summer camps for our students who want to experience China in the most authentic way possible. Want to read about our students’ experience in China? Click here: Summer Camp 2023 Afterstory.