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Posted: 26 September 2006

Chinese Vice-Premier officially opens UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland

During his official State visit to Ireland the Chinese Vice-Premier, Mr Zeng Peiyan opened the UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland. This joint venture between UCD, the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban) and Renmin University of China, offers courses and programmes in Chinese language and culture and aims to facilitate the expansion of economic ties between China and Ireland.

Pictured at the official launch of the UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland: Dr Hugh Brady, President, UCD and Chinese Vice-Premier, H.E. Mr Zeng Peiyan
Pictured at the official launch of the UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland: Dr Hugh Brady, President, UCD and Chinese Vice-Premier, H.E. Mr Zeng Peiyan

Already the first cohort of EU students (11 Irish and 2 German) has begun their B.Comm International Business with Chinese degree. The language and culture component of their degree is provided by the Confucius Institute and the business element by the UCD Quinn School of Business.

‘The Chinese economy is the fastest growing economy in the world. Studying Chinese as part of my business degree will put me ahead of the pack,’ says Jennifer Coleman, one of the students taking the degree. ‘When I complete my degree I plan to work for an Irish company that trades with China.’

‘It’s the incredible career potential that attracted me to the BComm with Chinese. By opening its doors, China has taken a lead role in world economic development and trade,’ comments Gareth McAdam, another student on the programme. ‘I will relocate to China when I finish the
degree or possibly to America whose trade with China is rapidly expanding.’

The Chinese Government plans to have an international network of 100 Confucius Institutes established across the globe by 2010. The Institutes will spearhead the teaching of Chinese language and culture worldwide and strengthen economic and business ties between China and countries around the world. More than 85 institutes have been
established to date in the United States, Canada, Europe, South Africa, Australia, Central Asia, India, and Japan.

Pictured at the official launch of the UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland: Dr Hugh Brady, President, UCD; H.E. Mr Zeng Peiyan, Chinese Vice- Premier; Dr Liming Wang, Director of the UCD Centre for Chinese Studies, and Mr Zhang Xinseng, Chinese Ambassador to Ireland
Pictured at the official launch of the UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland: Dr Hugh Brady, President, UCD; H.E. Mr Zeng Peiyan, Chinese Vice- Premier; Dr Liming Wang, Director of the UCD Centre for Chinese Studies, and Mr Zhang Xinseng, Chinese Ambassador to Ireland

The Chinese Government has adopted a strategy of ‘revitalizing the country through science and education’ to support its economic development and to meet the challenges of modern science and technology.

"At the Confucius Institute we will develop and promote teaching and research in the area of Chinese Studies in Ireland; host scholars, researchers and language teachers from China; and establish a centre of HSK - Chinese Language Proficiency Examination - for testing and preparation," says Dr Liming Wang, Director, UCD Centre for Chinese Studies. "As well as educating students, we will establish a programme
of activities to enhance cultural understanding of China for the business community and for Government departments."

UCD has a strong track record of partnership with China. This year, a second cohort of students graduated from the joint UCD/Fudan University Shanghai international software engineering degree programme, and, for the fifth year running, Chinese Government officials took part in an internship programme hosted by the UCD Applied Language Centre.

UCD also successfully recruits increasing numbers of the highest calibre Chinese students for postgraduate research. There are currently more than 100 Chinese students completing postgraduate research in the university.

One Chinese PhD student, Xuexuan Wang, is part of a research team at the UCD School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine investigating the oral drug delivery of salmon calcitonin - a hormone secreted by cells in the thyroid gland in mammals which is used to treat osteoporosis, Paget’s disease and hypercalcemia. At present, most hormone treatments for these conditions are given via multiple
injections – which patients find painful and inconvenient. “If we can develop an oral delivery system, many more patients would use the drug, leading to an improved prognosis for many sufferers,’ says Wang.

Another PhD student, Lili Li, at the UCD Conway Institute of
Biomolecular & Biomedical Research, is exploring the mechanisms for regulating gene expression in inflammatory and malignant diseases such as lung fibrosis - a devastating, relentlessly progressive and lethal disease that affects up to 5 million people worldwide. “Current treatments based on anti-inflammatory drugs are largely ineffective,” says Li. “By delving deep into the gene’s mechanism, we hope to pinpoint the cause of the disease and develop better treatments.”

The UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland will generate further
educational and economic links between China and Ireland. Through the Confucius Institute, Chinese scholars and researchers will be encouraged to come to Ireland and to consider Ireland as a potential partner for research and technological developments and Irish scholars and researchers will be encouraged to consider China as a potential
target for partnership and enterprise. The Institute will also promote Chinese links with the Irish government, businesses and the wider community.

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