Confucius Institute

The Confucius Institute at The University of the South Pacific (CI-USP) is headquartered in Suva, Fiji. It was established between The University of the South Pacific (USP) and Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT). CI-USP became fully operational in 2012. In March 2014, due to the high demand for Chinese language teaching in the western part of Fiji, CI-USP opened a Teaching Point at USP’s Lautoka Campus. In 2015 a Confucius Classroom was established at the Emalus Campus in Vanuatu. Another Confucius Classroom was established in the Cook Islands Campus later that year. CI-USP has had an array of outstanding Chinese language teachers. The Local Director is Dr. Akanisi Kedrayate. At the end of 2016, CI-USP bid farewell to its long-serving Chinese Director Prof. Denggui Li, and welcomed the new Chinese Director Dr. Yang Hui.

CI-USP provides different levels of credit courses (CN101, CN201, CN301, CN302). The Minor programme was approved on 13 July 2016. In order to meet different demands from individuals, businesses, schools, government departments and NGOs, the CI-USP offers a variety of social courses. It has conducted a number of in-house training programmes for local business houses and companies, and plan to continue this in the coming year. The Confucius Institute is committed to providing ceChinese language and cultural teaching resources and services. CI-USP also offers the Confucius Institute Scholarship and recommends excellent students for the Chinese government scholarships. It has acted as a bridge for visiting Research and Academic staff and other important visitors from China, who come to USP and Fiji. Since 2012, more than 4,000 students have graduated from CI-USP, and more than 100 cultural activities were held. Some of its cultural activities have become a cultural brand at USP, for example Confucius Day and Spring Festival.

The year 2019 will be an exciting year for CI-USP, as we are planning to open the new ‘Model CI’ building , and we will offer two courses in online mode (CN101 and CN201)from Semester One. We are planning to:

• Recruit 2 local teachers
• Continue to provide teaching of Chinese language and culture
• Offer more online courses
• Extend the current teaching space from 1600㎡ to 2045 ㎡
• Start more Chinese classes in primary and secondary schools
• Work on the Chinese curricula and try to make it part of the education system
• Get accreditation of our programme

Why learn Chinese?

• For business purposes (as there has been a vast increase in interaction between Fiji and China)
• For intellectual enrichment
• For an introduction to the culture of Fiji to China and vice versa.
• For career purposes
• For applying for a Chinese Scholarship

Why study Chinese?

• Interactive and innovative methods will immerse students in a linguistic and cultural environment.
• Class size is small for maximum student-teacher interaction.
• Good facilities and teaching materials.

Course descriptions

Credit courses

• CN101
• CN201
• CN301
• CN302

Social courses

• Beginner 1,2 and 3
• Intermediate 1,2,3,4,5 and 6
• Advance

Admission requirement

This course is open to anyone (any age group and any cultural background) who is eligible and interested in learning Mandarin.

Other activities

We have a lot of activities for the students and the public such as:

• Guest Lectures
• Dragon Boat Festival Celebration
• Chinese Tea Ceremony
• Chinese Cooking Class
• Chinese Singing Class
• Chinese and Pacific Book and handicraft exhibition
• Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival Celebration
• Chinese Photography Exhibition
• Paper cutting activities and exhibition
• Chinese calligraphy and painting competition and exhibition
• Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)