PetrSU Opens the Chinese Language Room
On the 20th of April PetrSU hosted an official opening of the Chinese Language Room.
The opening took place on April the 20th, as it is the Chinese Language Day. The holiday was established by the UN Department of Public Information in 2010 to promote multilingualism and cultural diversity, as well as promote equal use of all six official languages of the UN. The 20th of April is associated with the name of court historian Cangjie, who is believed to be the inventor of the Chinese writing system about 5000 years ago.
The hosts and the main participants of the opening ceremony were the 1st year students of the Russian as a Foreign Language program of the Institute of Philology, as well as the Chinese language teacher Zhao Linlin. Among the honorable guests were the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Konstantin Tarasov and the Head of the Directorate for International Affairs Marina Gvozdeva, teachers and employees of the university. The colleagues and students of Dalian University of Technology, who plan to this Petrozavodsk University this summer, joined the event by video call.
Addressing the guests, the Director of the Institute of Philology Oksana Abramova said:
“Dear students, honored guests! The opening of the Chinese Language Room is a significant event not only for the Institute and the university, but also for Karelia in general. Today we bring the academic cooperation with our Chinese partners to a new level.”
The guests were welcomed by the Dean of the Department of the Russian Language of the School of Foreign Languages of Dalian University of Technology Li Yanchun:
“It is an honor for me to participate in the opening of the Chinese Language Room in Petrozavodsk University. There is a wonderful atmosphere of Russian-Chinese friendship at Petrozavodsk State University. The opening of the Chinese Language Room is a new point in the development of the constantly strengthening ties between Russia and China.”
Zhao Linlin briefly talked about the history of the Chinese writing system and held a short quiz on the facts about the Chinese language. The students recited poems and sang songs in Chinese and thus showcased their progress in learning the language.
At the end of the event, Marina Gvozdeva presented special wooden appliances for Chinese calligraphy.
