From October 15th to 17th, a delegation led by Qin Rui, Standing Committee Member and Vice President of SCMU, visited Cambodia’s Tuan Hwa Public School to inaugurate an overseas internship base for international Chinese education. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Sun Xiaoli, Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange; Tao Xihong, Dean of the School of Literature, Journalism and Communication; Niu Lei, Deputy Party Secretary of the school; and Zhang Chunzhi, a teacher managing international Chinese education volunteers.

The SCMU delegation received a warm welcome from the Association of Chinese Teochew in Cambodia and Tuan Hwa Public School officials. Wu Qixiang, Deputy Secretary-General of the association, and Wu Nannan, Principal of Tuan Hwa University, along with other department heads, representatives of SCMU’s international Chinese education volunteers and interns currently working in Cambodia participated in the inauguration ceremony and subsequent discussions.

Group photo. Provided by School of Literature, Journalism and Communication

During the talks, Wu Qixiang highlighted Tuan Hwa Public School’s rich history, calling it the “pinnacle of overseas Chinese schools” in Cambodia. He expressed hope that the collaboration with SCMU would enhance the school’s role in preserving and promoting Chinese culture, especially as it celebrates its 110th anniversary this year.Principal Wu Nannan praised the performance of SCMU’s Chinese language education volunteers and interns. Vice President Qin Rui outlined SCMU’s profile and thanked the Cambodian Teochew Association for their support. Both parties engaged in productive and in-depth discussions on several key areas of cooperation. These included teacher training programs for Tuan Hwa School, joint development of educational materials, the establishment and operation of the overseas internship base for international Chinese education, and potential academic programs for Tuan Hwa University.

Communication with volunteers and interns.

Photo provided by the School of Literature, Journalism and Communication

The SCMU delegation also met with Chinese language education volunteers and interns. Xiao Meiyang, a 2020 graduate student from SCMU’s School of Literature Journalism, and Communication, shared her experiences, “The local youth are incredibly enthusiastic about Chinese culture. Our newfound cultural confidence and national pride have helped us quickly adapt to local life and fully engage in classroom teaching”. She has extended her stay for a second year to continue contributing to international Chinese education and China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Peng Guangling, a 2023 graduate student intern, expressed how the experience has enhanced her professional skills and broadened her horizons. She plans to apply for the international Chinese volunteer program after her internship.

This marks SCMU’s second overseas internship base for international Chinese education, following the one established at the Kazakhstan International Chinese Language Academy. The first batch of four interns from the School of Literature, Journalism and Communication are primarily engaged in Chinese language teaching at primary and secondary levels.