The Confucius Institute has opened a language and cultural museum at the University of Zambia (UNZA) to enhance culture and language exchange between Zambia and China.
UNZA Vice Chancellor, Professor Luke Mumba and his Chinese counterpart Wu Yiging jointly opened the museum yesterday as part of the activities to mark the 2017 joint conference of Confucius Institutes in Africa.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Mumba said the museum will raise the profile of the University of Zambia in as a centre of excellence in language training and culture exchange.
Prof. Mumba said the language and culture museum will strengthen the capacity to shape the multi-cultural perspective to the training of students from both Zambia and China.
“I’m proud to say we have made enormous contributions to the nation’s and the region’s intellectual capital. Our graduates have made huge contributions to nation building and to the growth of economic sectors that hold together our economy together and drive the growth we see today,” said Prof. Mumba.
The Vice Chancellor said museum studies play a vital role in the articulation of the past as well as the conflation of multi-culturalism and multi-lingualism.
He noted that the museum will stand as an embodiment of the Zambia-China identity, as well as the voice of the cherished cooperation.
“By unveiling this monument, we begin an exciting journey to commemorate the past, the present and the future cooperation between Zambia and China, which is well expressed through the art factual material ties displayed in this language and culture museum,” explained Prof. Mumba.
And Hebei University of Economics and Business Vice president Wu Yiging said the museum will serve as a bridge in diversifying the cultures between the two sister universities.
Mr Yiging said the museum will contribute to the promotion and expansion of the friendship between Zambia and China through cultural and language exchange.
Meanwhile, Prof. Mumba praised the People’s Republic of China through the Hanban University for a record time release of funds to construct a Confucius Institute which has since been opened.
Confucius Institute at the University of Zambia (CIUNZA), under the leadership of Confucius Institute Headquarters/Hanban, was founded on 26th July, 2010 and is jointly run between Hebei University of Economics and Business and the University of Zambia.