On the morning of August 20, the kickoff event for the 2023 Pre-departure Training Program for teachers who will be going to African and Latin American countries took place at Zhejiang Normal University (ZJNU). The event was organized by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education, and hosted by the African-Chinese Education Practice and Research Base at ZJNU. Zhang Genfu, vice president of ZJNU, attended the ceremony. The event was also attended by representatives from ZJNU’s International Office, the African-Chinese Education Practice and Research Base, and teaching experts. Additionally, 109 teachers who will soon be heading to African and Latin American countries were also present. These teachers come from 48 universities across 17 different provinces, cities, and autonomous regions within China.

Zhang Genfu welcomed the teachers and expressed his gratitude for the continuous support from the Ministry of Education’s Language Cooperation Center. He introduced ZJNU’s active involvement in four main areas: academic research in Africa, Chinese language teaching in Africa, cultivating talent related to Africa, and promoting academic exchanges with African institutions.

The training lasted for 5 days and covered a wide range of topics, including specialized ideological and political courses, international communication, practical teaching training, overseas safety, foreign affairs regulations and consular protection, national defense education, cross-cultural communication, and more. To ensure the success of this training, the African-Chinese Education Practice and Research Base actively coordinated teaching resources both within and outside the university. Since 2014, the African-Chinese Education Practice and Research Base has undertaken the Ministry of Education’s Chinese Language Education Teacher Training Program. They have trained over 3,000 Chinese and foreign teachers specializing in international Chinese language education. (Source: International Office, ZJNU)