During a visit last month to Beijing to mark the 40th anniversary of China-Guyana diplomatic relations, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony participated in the initial discussions for establishing Confucius Institute centre here.
In a press release, the Ministry of Culture said Anthony was also informed about the possibilities of more cultural exchanges and scholarship offers for Guyanese to study subjects in various areas of mutual cultural development.
It noted that the establishment of the centre is pending the outcome of discussions involving the University of Guyana (UG).
In January, outgoing UG Vice-Chancellor Professor Lawrence Carrington had announced that the university was pursuing a partnership with the Beijing Technological and Business University to set up a Confucius Institute here for teaching Chinese language and culture. “If all goes well, the goodwill of the Government of China would produce a structure, which would enable the School of Education and Humanities to guarantee the place of Chinese in the curriculum of the University and deliver its programmes more effectively,” he had said, while crediting Guyana’s Ambassador to China Professor David Dabydeen for sterling perseverance in the process.
According to the ministry release, Confucius Institutes originate from the People’s Republic of China and are centres of learning that promote China’s intellectual thought, historical and academic positions and propagation of the Chinese way of life generally.
Several western universities and other institutions of higher learning have accommodated these institutes; as they provide a modern vehicle to develop insightful understandings of China’s history, development and current status in the international community.
