University of Western Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia consists of 6 states and 2 territories: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. The Education Group of the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney is responsible for education affairs in New South Wales, the education team of the Chinese Consulate General in Melbourne is responsible for victoria and Tasmania education affairs, and the education affairs of the remaining states and regions are responsible for the education affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Australia.
There are 42 universities in Australia, with the exception of 2 private universities, the rest are public universities. Australia's universities distinguish between good and bad using star rating standards, which are based on indicators such as the international ranking of universities and the number of internationally renowned professors. There are 8 five-star universities in Australia: the Australian National University, the University of Sydney, the University of Melbourne, the University of Queensland, the University of New South Wales, Monash University, the University of Western Australia and the University of Adelaide.
The University of Western Australia (Chinese", founded in 1911, is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Western Australia, located in Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Recognised as one of Australia's most beautiful campuses, the University of Western Australia is home to Mediterranean-shaped buildings that incorporate elaborate garden design and is adjacent to Kings Park and Swan River, a hub for yachting, surfing and other water sports. The campus of the University of Western Australia is beautifully located next to the Swan River, close to major transport routes and only 5 km from the city. The school's teaching equipment is modern, and all departments have their own specialized libraries. There are on-campus dormitories next to the University of Western Australia campus, which can accommodate 1,000 students. In 2005, the University of Western Australia had 8 faculties: the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Agriculture, the Faculty of Business, the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Faculty of Science.
Professor Alan Robson AM, President of the University of Western Australia, has been Vice-Chancellor and Provost of the University of Western Australia since 1993. He was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Western Australia in 2004. Professor Robertson's main research areas are the effects of mineral nutrients and acidity on legume tumor mass and nitrogen fixation, and the role played in plant nutrient uptake and plant nutrient disorder diagnosis of bulbous shrub mycorrhizae. Professor Robertson was founding chairman of the Cereal Pulses Research Council, vice-chair of the Australian Research Council Research Grants Committee, a member of the Trio Committee to review agriculture and related education in Australia, and a member of the review panel evaluating Danish agricultural research. In 2003 Professor Robertson was named an "Australian Member Medal Recipient" (AM is the third class medal awarded by the Australian Government). Professor Robertson is the mentor of several Chinese doctoral students and senior visiting scholars, and he is well-known and loved and respected by graduate students and visiting scholars.
During his tenure, Zhang Shuanggu, Education Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Australia, visited President Robertson many times to exchange views and reach consensus on the establishment of cooperation and exchanges between the University of Western Australia and Chinese universities, as well as The teaching of Chinese language, and established a friendship of mutual trust.
On March 30, 2003, Counselor Zhang Shuanggu visited President Alain Robertson.
The Education Counsellor discussed cooperation in Chinese language teaching with Dr. David Boucher, Dean of the Faculty of Letters (first from right), and Dr. Schigren ( second from right), Head of the Department of Chinese.
The second consultation meeting of the China-Australia Joint Working Group on Educational Exchanges
In early 2002, Zhang Shuanggu, then editor-in-chief of Shenzhou Scholar of the Ministry of Education, was appointed by the Party Group of the Ministry of Education as The Counsellor of Education at the Chinese Embassy in Australia. Before taking office in May, Vice Minister Zhang Xinsheng and leaders of the International Department put forward specific requirements and work priorities to Zhang Shuanggu. The establishment of a bilateral vice-ministerial consultation mechanism on education between China and Australia is one of the priorities of the Education Division. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Education and the support and guidance of relevant departments and bureaus, and with the active promotion of the Education Division, the China-Australia Joint Working Group on Educational Exchange was established in November 2002. Australia became one of the first countries to establish a high-level consultation mechanism with China in the field of education. In November 2003, the first consultation meeting of the China-Australia Joint Working Group on Educational Exchange was successfully held in Beijing, and the delegation led by Wendy Jiawei, Deputy Secretary of the Australian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Training. During his visit to China, the Department of Vocational Education and the Department of International Affairs of the Ministry of Education, the Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, and the Australian Embassy in China jointly successfully held the "China-Australia Vocational Education Forum" in Chongqing, and Vice Minister of Education Wang Zhan and Deputy Secretary of the Australian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Training, Wendy Jiawei, attended the forum and delivered speeches.
Before the second consultation meeting, Vice Minister Zhang Xinsheng (second from left) and Ambassador Fu Ying (third from left) had a cordial conversation with Deputy Secretary Wendy Jiawei (second from right).
The consultation meeting of the China-Australia Joint Working Group on Educational Exchanges has played an important role in promoting the exchange and exchange of information on education policies, education development and reform in the education departments of the two governments. The two sides agreed to hold the second consultation meeting in Australia two years later.
On the basis of the extensive preparatory work of the International Department of the Ministry of Education and the Education Office (Group) in Australia, vice minister Zhang Xinsheng led the Chinese education delegation to attend the second consultation meeting of the China-Australia Joint Working Group on Educational Exchanges. On the night of March 15, 2005, Vice Minister of Education Zhang Xinsheng led a Chinese education delegation to arrive at Perth Airport in Western Australia on FLIGHT SQ215. Zhong Ziqi, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Perth, Zhang Shuanggu, Counsellor of Education, and representatives of overseas chinese students greeted the main members of the Chinese education delegation at the airport: Jiang Bo, deputy director general of the International Department of the Ministry of Education and secretary general of the delegation, Xu Lin, director of Hanban, Yang Liguo, secretary general of the China University Sports Association, Wu Zaofeng, deputy secretary general of the China Education Association for International Exchanges, Yang Xinyu, deputy secretary general of the China Scholarship Council, Han Min, deputy director of the Education Development Research Center, and Du Kewei, director of the General Office of the Ministry of Education.
Brendan Nelson (second from left), Minister of Education, Science and Training of the Commonwealth of Australia, holds working talks with Deputy Minister Zhang Xinsheng (second from right).
The Australian side attaches great importance to the visit of the Chinese education delegation. The Chinese Embassy in Australia also attaches great importance to it, and Ambassador Fu Ying has had a long working exchange with the delegation and attended the second consultation meeting of the China-Australia Joint Working Group on Educational Exchanges. The mission's overall work schedule was very tight and the visit was a complete success.
Visited the University of Western Australia and signed an agreement to establish a Confucius Institute
At 10 o'clock on March 15, the Chinese education delegation, accompanied by Deputy Consul General Li Jianzhong and Counselor Zhang Shuanggu, arrived at the main administrative building of the University of Western Australia and was warmly greeted by Dr. David Bourchier, Dean of the Faculty of Letters, Dr. Gary Sigley, Head of the Department of Chinese, and Dr. Wang Yi, a Chinese language teacher. The delegation was accompanied by Professor George Stewart, Dean of the Faculty of Science, on a tour of the new building of the Faculty of Science.
During the chinese education delegation's visit to Australia, Vice Minister Zhang Xinsheng repeatedly discussed with the members of the delegation the sino-Australian education exchanges and cooperation work, hoping for new breakthroughs. Among them, Vice Minister Zhang Xinsheng and Deputy Director General Jiang Bo (who was also in charge of the international promotion of Chinese at that time and concurrently served as the deputy director of Hanban) and Director Xu Lin exchanged views on confucius institutes and other related matters. In view of the fact that the construction of Confucius Institutes had accumulated some experience in South Korea and the United States at that time, the focus of the discussion was on how to make further breakthroughs on the basis of the existing foundation. Director Xu Lin, who accompanied the delegation on a visit, had just arrived at Hanban to take up his new post. She is a comrade with a great sense of mission and responsibility, and she has no bottom on how to promote Chinese language teaching in the world, so she is very anxious. On the plane, she repeatedly studied and discussed with Deputy Director Jiang Bo and other comrades for a long time. One of the innovative ideas is that Hanban, a domestic university and a foreign university cooperate, the Confucius Institute office space is provided by the other party, and hanban provides teachers and teaching materials, and provides support for related projects.
During a visit to the University of Western Australia, Director Xu Lin told Counselor Zhang Shuanggu that Minister Zhang criticized her for how a country as large as Australia did not have a Confucius Institute. She said that she had only been the director of Hanban for more than two months, and that she was unfamiliar with the situation and inexperienced, and earnestly hoped that the Education Department would help her. Counselor Zhang Shuanggu said that Hanban actively promoted the establishment of a Chinese language center in Sydney a few years ago without success. Then a Chinese language center was built in Melbourne, but it was shelved due to contradictions within the organizers. Counselor Zhang Shuanggu asked Director Xu Lin how about the University of Western Australia, which is one of the top eight Australian universities. Director Xu Lin said that if a Confucius Institute could be built at the University of Western Australia, it would be great. Deputy Director General Jiang Bo, Director Xu Lin, and Counselor Zhang Shuanggu consulted that they should make full use of this opportunity to increase their work and make another breakthrough in promoting the construction of Confucius Institutes. The three of them divided their work, Counselor Zhang Shuanggu was responsible for discussing with President Robertson, Deputy Director Jiang Bo reported to Vice Minister Zhang Xinsheng, and Director Xu Lin communicated with Dr. David Bocher, Dean of the School of Literature, and Dr. Xi Glenn, Head of the Department of Chinese.
At 11:00, the delegation arrived at the Rector's Office Building and was warmly welcomed by President Alain Robertson and Vice-Chancellor Margaret Seares AO. President Robertson warmly shook hands with Vice Minister Zhang Xinsheng and his party, and set up a luncheon reception. First, President Robertson briefly introduced the university of Western Australia, and then the two sides discussed relevant issues. Counselor Zhang Shuanggu sat on the left side of Principal Robertson. During the banquet, Counselor Zhang Shuanggu and President Robertson solicited opinions on the cooperation between Hanban and the University of Western Australia in Establishing a Confucius Institute. Previously, on the basis of the consensus reached between the two sides on the cooperation and exchange of universities between China and Australia, President Robertson agreed to the establishment of Confucius Institutes between Hanban and the University of Western Australia in China. Counselor Zhang Shuanggu said that taking advantage of Vice Minister Zhang Xinsheng's visit to the University of Western Australia to sign an agreement on the establishment of a Confucius Institute, the future work will be handled by Hanban of China and the Chinese Embassy in Australia in consultation with the University of Western Australia. Principal Robertson smiled and said listening to your arrangement. At this time, Director Xu Lin also successfully completed the consultation and reached a consensus. Deputy Director Jiang Bo immediately reported the situation to Vice Minister Zhang Xinsheng. At the same time, Deputy Director Jiang Bo, Director Xu Lin, and Counselor Zhang Shuanggu met and agreed to strike iron while it was hot and sign the "Letter of Intent for Cooperation." Director Xu Lin discussed the specific content of the "Letter of Intent to Cooperate" with Dr. Sigren, Director Xu Lin wrote the Chinese, and Dr. Seglen translated it into English.
The Letter of Intent for Cooperation is very brief, and the core content of it is that the University of Western Australia will cooperate with Hanban and a Chinese university to organize the establishment of a Confucius Institute at the University of Western Australia in 2005. The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China and Hanban of China will do their utmost to support the project. Specific matters concerning the establishment of the Confucius Institute will be specifically discussed by Hanban, the Education Office of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Australia and the University of Western Australia. The English language is:
On the occasion of the visit of Mr Zhang Xinsheng, Vice-Minister for Education, Peoples Republic of China to The University of Western Australia on the 15th of March, we agree to the following，
The University of Western Australia is committed to cooperate with the National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (NOCFL) and a partner University in the Peoples Republic of China, to establish a Confucius Institute in Perth this year.
NOCFL and the Ministry of Education of the Peoples Republic of China will support this endeavour to the best of their abilities.
Arrangements concerning the establishment of the Confucius Institute will be subject to discussion between NOCFL, the education section of the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China, and The University of Western Australia.
After the text was formed, at the scene of the break between visits, Director Xu Lin reviewed the "Letter of Intent for Cooperation" with Deputy Director Jiang Bo and Counselor Zhang Shuanggu, and everyone agreed. UWA staff set up a table by the window in front of the restaurant, covered with dark green tablecloths, and placed two chairs. President Robertson and Director Xu Lin signed the Letter of Intent. Vice Minister Zhang Xinsheng and his party and vice president of the University of Western Australia stood behind chairs as witnesses. After the signing, everyone present applauded and expressed warm congratulations.
After the signing ceremony at 12:30, the Chinese education delegation bid farewell to President Robertson and Vice President Cerres and visited the College of Human Movement and Exercise Science.
Vice Chairman Of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Hotland inaugurated the Confucius Institute at the University of Western Australia
On 20 May 2005, after the heavy rains in Perth, the capital of Western Australia, a few white clouds fluttered in the blue sky, and the teachers and students of the University of Western Australia were full of joy, the whole school was boiling, and the president's office building was crowded with people. At exactly 10:00 a.m., more than 40 people, including Vice Chairman Of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Anderson Of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, who came to Visit Australia with Chairman Wu Bangguo of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, came to the University of Western Australia to attend the unveiling ceremony of Australia's first Confucius Institute, and were warmly welcomed by Professor Alain Robertson, President of the University of Western Australia, Professor Margaret Celeste, Vice President of the University of Western Australia, the Government of Western Australia, the education sector, the business community, the friendship community, and Chinese experts and scholars, as well as representatives of Chinese students studying abroad.
From May 19 to 25, 2005, Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, led a Delegation of the Chinese Government to conduct state affairs in Australia. According to the original visit schedule, Chairman Wu Bangguo inaugurated the Confucius Institute at the University of Western Australia, but due to the change in the schedule of the visit, the plaque was unveiled by Vice Chairman Raidi on behalf of Chairman Wu Bangguo.
President Alain Robertson first extended a warm welcome and thanks to Mr. Redy, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, for attending the inauguration ceremony of Australia's first Confucius Institute. He said that the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China and Hanban of the State have cooperated with the University of Western Australia to establish Australia's first Confucius Institute. The Confucius Institute at the University of Western Australia will host various activities to enhance Australian people's understanding of Chinese society, culture and language, and play an active and important role in promoting and developing trade, education and tourism between Western Australia and China. Professor Robertson said UW would seek to be a world-class centre for the twenty-first century, providing collaboration and convenience for enhanced cooperation with China. The inauguration of the Confucius Institute has helped promote a strategic partnership between WaY and China.
In 1972, China established diplomatic relations with Australia, and five of the six Australian ambassadors to China graduated from the University of Western Australia. Vice Chairman Raidi's visit coincides with the visit of an important delegation of the Chinese Government to Western Australia, which will further promote the development of economic, cultural and educational ties between China and Western Australia.
Vice Chairman Raidi said in his speech that I am very pleased to represent Mr. Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China, to attend the unveiling ceremony of the Confucius Institute at the University of Western Australia. The Confucius Institute at the University of Western Australia is the first Confucius Institute in Australia and an important achievement of educational cooperation and exchanges between China and Australia. Here, I would like to extend my warm congratulations to the confucius institute at the University of Western Australia on its official completion.
He said: The purpose of the Confucius Institute at the University of Western Australia, jointly established by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China and the University of Western Australia, is to develop friendly relations between China and other countries in the world, enhance the understanding of Chinese and Chinese culture among the people of the world, provide convenient and excellent learning conditions for Chinese language learners, let Chinese go to the world, and let the world understand China. In recent years, China-Australia relations have developed rapidly, people-to-people exchanges have become increasingly close, and the needs of the two peoples to learn and understand each other's languages and cultures have increased day by day. I am very pleased to learn that there are Chinese courses in australia from primary schools to universities, and the enthusiasm of friends from all walks of life in Australia to learn Chinese is unprecedentedly high, and Chinese has become the most used language except English.
Vice Chairman Raidi said that the establishment of the Confucius Institute at the University of Western Australia is a milestone event in the history of China-Australia education cooperation. I believe that with the joint efforts of both sides, the Confucius Institute will provide more favorable conditions for friends in Western Australia and even the whole country who love Chinese and Chinese culture. Thus, we will further deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples and promote the all-round development of friendly cooperation between the two countries.
Finally, Vice Chairman Raidi sincerely wishes that China and Australia will work together with one heart and promote each other, so that the Confucius Institute at the University of Western Australia can become more and more prosperous like Confucius's school, and the peach and plum will be all over the world. Vice Chairman Raidi also presented books to the University of Western Australia on behalf of the National People's Congress.
Vice Chairman Raidi inaugurated the Confucius Institute at the University of Western Australia and was the first national leader of the People's Republic of China to inaugurate the Confucius Institute.
On the same day, the University of Western Australia also launched the Confucius Institute website (http://www.confuciusinstitute.uwa.edu.au). Chen Guangyi, chairman of the Overseas Chinese Committee of the National People's Congress, Zhou Zhengqing, vice chairman of the Npc Financial and Economic Committee and chairman of the NPC China-Australia Friendship Group, Zhong Ziqi, consul general of the Chinese Consulate General in Perth, and Zhang Shuanggu, education counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Australia, attended the inauguration ceremony of the Confucius Institute.
With the strong support of the Ministry of Education, Hanban and the University of Western Australia, and the warm care of the public counselors and colleagues of the Chinese Embassy and the Education Department of the Chinese Embassy in Australia, Zhejiang University and the University of Western Australia have cooperated to build a Confucius Institute smoothly, and have been praised as "global model Confucius Institutes".
About the Author:
Zhang Shuanggu is the Executive Vice President of the China Education Development Strategy Society, the former Education Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Australia, and the Deputy Minister of the Permanent Mission of The People's Republic of China to UNESCO.
Jiang Bo is the vice president and member of the Academic Committee of the China Adult Education Association, the former deputy director of the Department of International Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education, the former secretary general of the China Education Association for International Exchange, and the former vice president of Tongji University.