On July 7, 2023, the inaugural Joint Meeting of Turkish Chinese Language Teaching Institutions was held in Ankara. The event was organized by the Chinese Embassy in Turkey and hosted by the Confucius Institute at the Middle East Technical University. Attendees included Ambassador Liu Shaobin from the Chinese Embassy in Turkey, Professor Mehmett T.Zeyrek, Vice President of the Middle East Technical University, Counsellor Zhou Meifen from the Chinese Embassy in Turkey, and more than 30 representatives and Chinese language teachers from 13 Chinese teaching institutions in Turkey. The gathering aimed to foster exchanges and discussions to promote high-quality development of Chinese language education in Turkey. Representing Yeditepe University Confucius Institute, volunteer teacher Tang Ju participated in the meeting as a representative.
During the opening ceremony, Ambassador Liu Shaobin emphasized that international Chinese education is a public product of language offered by China to the world. It serves as a platform and carrier for China's integration into the world and the world's understanding of China. In recent years, Chinese education in Turkey has seen remarkable growth, attracting an increasing number of Turkish friends, especially young people, to learn Chinese and understand Chinese culture. The ambassador sincerely hoped that Chinese education in Turkey would continue to thrive, playing a positive role in enhancing mutual understanding, promoting accurate knowledge, and fostering cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and Turkey.
Counsellor Zhou Meifen introduced the preparations and distinctive features of the 2023 Chinese language teaching promotion activities organized by the Chinese Embassy in Turkey. She stated that the Embassy aims to establish a platform for exchange among Chinese language teaching institutions in Turkey, promote the teaching experience of Confucius Institute brand projects, encourage localization of teaching staff, and effectively address challenges such as a shortage of Chinese language teachers. Additionally, the Embassy plans to promote activities like International Chinese Language Day, Chinese Film Week, and Chinese culture entering campuses, to combine Chinese language teaching with Chinese culture and make learning enjoyable to improve teaching outcomes.
The conference consisted of two agendas. The first session, titled "Speeches by Representatives of Chinese Teaching Institutions and Confucius Institute Directors," saw various Chinese teaching institution representatives and teachers sharing the current status, challenges, and opportunities in Chinese education. In the second session, titled "Teaching Case Sharing by Chinese Teachers," participating teachers showcased their excellent teaching cases.
Zhang Huijing,the Chinese Director Confucius Institute at Yeditepe University ,presented the Confucius Institute at Yeditepe University through a video presentation, covering its basic information, teaching and cultural activities, development goals, and future plans. In the video, the experienced Director Zhang emphasized the fundamental role of Chinese language teaching in international Chinese education, stressing the need for evaluation and assessment of its effectiveness. She also pointed out the importance of integrating examination and teaching, increasing participation in HSK exams, organizing various Chinese teaching competitions, enhancing local teacher training, fostering exchanges among Chinese education experts, and strengthening collaboration among Chinese teaching institutions to promote the development of Chinese language education in Turkey.
The significance of this joint meeting is profound as it provided a valuable platform for communication among Chinese teaching institutions in Turkey. Attendees gained enriching experiences in Chinese language teaching through sharing and listening. They unanimously expressed their anticipation for more seminars and exchanges, and pledged to collaborate and work together to further advance international Chinese education in Turkey.