Growing interest in Chinese language highlights teacher shortage in Egypt

Students take part in a Chinese singing and translation contest run by the Confucius Institute at Cairo University, Oct 29, 2015. [Photo/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Egyptians' passion for Chinese has increased as bilateral trade between China and Egypt reaches a historical high.

As more students choose to learn the language and more universities set up Chinese departments, there is great shortage of Chinese teachers in Egypt.

Omayma Ghanem, a Chinese professor from Ain Shams University, who first opened a Chinese department in the 1950s, said there were only 11 Chinese major students in her class when she graduated from Ain Shams in 1983. Now, there are more than 2,000.

When Cairo University started it's Chinese department in 2004, there were 20 students, now the number has reached 60 in one grade. The number of students at the Confucius Institute in Cairo University, launched in 2007, has also increased from the original 30 to 1,200 a year, according to Rehab Mahmoud, director of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Cairo University and also dean of the Confucius Institute.

There are now two Confucius Institutes in Egypt with the other at Suez Canal University. Meanwhile, more universities in Egypt are opening Chinese departments. According to Ghnaem, there are departments in Al-Azhar University, Suez Canal University, Fayoum University, Pharos University, Helwan University and Misr University for Science & Technology (private). With help from the Confucius Institutes, there are also Chinese classes in some junior and senior high schools in Egypt.