Source: Base for International Chinese Teaching Materials Development & Teacher Training
Written by: Xie Qiuwen
Proofread by: Gao Xuesong & Liang Jianxin
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

From November 19 to November 25, the 2015 Chinese Bridge for Cambodian Schools was held at Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU). 10 primary and secondary school principals from Cambodia and one teacher from Confucius Institute at Royal Academy of Cambodia were invited to visit China and SYSU. The event was hosted by Hanban and undertaken by the Base for International Chinese Teaching Materials Development & Teacher Training (CTM) and the School of Chinese as a Second Language (SCSL) at SYSU.

On the morning of November 20, the welcoming ceremony was held on south campus at SYSU. Gu Wenli, Deputy Director of SYSU’s Office of International Cooperation & Exchange and Executive Deputy Director of Office of Confucius Institute, extended a warm welcome to the delegates, and introduced the development of SYSU and the four Confucius Institutes established by universities overseas and SYSU. Zhang Shitao, Vice Dean of SCSL and Deputy Director of CTM, introduced the history of CTM and SCSL, the Cambodian students’ campus life at SYSU, the cooperation between SCSL and Cambodian schools, and the Chinese teaching materials from Cambodia collected by CTM. On behalf of the delegation, Nop Kuch, Vice Principal of Preah Sisowat High School, expressed their appreciation to Hanban and SYSU for hosting the event. He pointed out that the former King of Cambodia Norodom Sihanouk was a great brother of Chairman Mao Zedong and an old friend of the Chinese people, and now the “One Belt and One Road” initiative will strengthen the friendship and cultural ties between the two countries. Chen Lin, Deputy Director of Training Department of CTM attended the ceremony as well.

During their visit, the delegates attended lectures on the Chinese educational system, especially on the Chinese primary and secondary schools. They also paid a visit to 4 local schools, including Guangzhou No. 6 Middle School, Jingzhong Experimental Middle School, SYSU Affiliated Primary School and Middle School, where they visited the campus, observed second language classes, and shared ideas on teaching with local principals and teachers. The delegates took courses on Chinese traditional culture, including calligraphy, Tai Chi, and Chinese fan, and learned about the unique Lingnan culture in a variety of activities, such as enjoying a Cantonese style morning tea and visiting to Chen Clan Academy.

The closing ceremony was held by the end of their one-week visit. Zhang Shitao emphasized that he believed this event would further strengthen the cooperation on textbook compilation, student joint training and Chinese teacher training between both sides. The delegates said they would share with their colleagues their experiences in China when they returned to Cambodia, and help to promote the Chinese language and culture in Cambodia.

It’s learned that, hosted by Hanban, 9 groups of oversea principals have been invited to visit SYSU since 2011. A total of 148 principals and educational officials from countries such as Canada, Australia and Thailand came to SYSU to learn about Chinese language and culture, and exchange ideas with local educators. In 2013, the delegation of 20 Cambodian principals made a visit to SYSU under Hanban’s support. It was the second time for CTM and SCSL to hold the Chinese Bridge for Cambodian Schools since then. It helped the delegates to get more understanding of Chinese language, culture and education, and laid a solid foundation for further exchange and cooperation in Chinese language teaching between the two sides.