Director General Professor Ma Jianfei Visited Belvedere College S.J

On November 14th, a delegation from the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China headed by Professor Ma Jianfei, Director General, visited Belvedere College S.J, a Confucius Classroom in partnership with UCD Confucius Institute. The purpose of the visit was to explore the operations of the Confucius Classroom and to extend support and encouragement to both teachers and students at Belvedere College S.J. Professor Wang Liming, the Foreign Director of the UCD Confucius Institute, Professor Xie Jiangnan, the Chinese Director, along with over 60 teachers and students from Belvedere College S.J were present during the visit.

Throughout the visit, Professor Ma Jianfei and the delegation engaged in discussions with Gerry Foley, the Headmaster of Belvedere College, and Tom Doyle, the Deputy Headmaster. They presented gifts to the school's staff and students and toured various facilities at Belvedere College S.J, including the Confucius Classroom, theater, and urban farm.

Within Belvedere College's Chinese-themed classroom, Professor Ma Jianfei warmly interacted with students attending Chinese language classes. He encouraged them to actively participate and practice speaking while personally guiding them in the art of calligraphy , allowing them to experience the depth and allure of the Chinese language. Using diverse calligraphic styles such as seal script, clerical script, and regular script, the students wrote the character "福" (meaning blessings or good fortune) to convey their well wishes. They eagerly requested a photo opportunity with Professor Ma Jianfei as a memorable moment. Furthermore, Professor Ma Jianfei exchanged insights with Confucius Institute teachers Ms Hu Mengwen and Ms Li Shuying, who teach at the school, to gain an understanding of the curriculum and teaching arrangements.

Belvedere College S.J stands as one of the pioneer Confucius Classrooms for Chinese language education, established with the UCD Confucius Institute. With over a decade of formal establishment since 2011, the Confucius Classroom has continually attracted students to participate in Chinese language and cultural studies, hosting three classes annually.