Spain's Catalonia to introduce Chinese language in public schools

The Confucius Institute in Barcelona holds activities for local people to experience Chinese culture, Sept 25, 2015.[Photo/barcelona.es.chinesecio.com]

Representatives from eight universities in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, met in Barcelona on Thursday with the Confucius Institute of Barcelona Foundation (FICB) to exchange experiences and promote collaboration.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the University of Lleida (UdL), Girona (UdG), Vic (UVic), Rovira i Virgili (URV), Barcelona (UB), Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC).

Director of the FICB, Dr. Chang Shiru, said: "I want to form a Catalan magno Confucius, covering the whole area and collaborating with all the universities."

"The idea is that the collaboration should cover Chinese official exams, also academic and cultural cooperation with all universities," Chang said.

Andreu Pulido, head of the Modern Languages Service of the University of Girona, stressed the importance of public-private partnership between the FICB, the Chinese Cultural Center and the University of Girona, where today students can take the HSK exam, a Chinese proficiency test.

Representatives of the University of Girona said they were "happy with the experience" and wanted to "continue on the same line to make more contacts through the FICB with China."

Susana de Llobet, from the International Center of the Rovira i Virgili University, said "the door remains open to any kind of collaboration," and Dr. Carles Sigales, from the UOC, said: "we surely can find ways of collaboration."

Also, during the meeting, the signing of an agreement between the FICB and the education department of the government of Catalonia was announced to introduce the Chinese language and culture in public schools in the region.

Zhao Xiaomeng, professor and coordinator of official exams and the program Hola, China! of the FICB, told Xinhua that currently the FICB works with a private school and four semi-state funded schools, but with the signing of the agreement, this collaboration will be extended to public education.

"The relationship of the Confucius Institute with universities is very healthy, is very stable and there will be many more activities in the future," she said.