The Chinese Ambassador to South Africa, His Excellency Lin Songtian, announced this afternoon (Friday 10 November 2017) that Naspers will sponsor two additional Mandarin lecturers from China for 5 years at Stellenbosch University (SU).  The announcement was made at an event at the SU Museum on the Stellenbosch Campus.

In addition, to support cultural exchange, students from Wuhan College in China will visit South Africa annually and a South African student will be fully sponsored to study in China.

• Read the remarks by His Excellency Lin Songtian, Chinese Ambassador to South Africa, here.
  

• Read the official media statement below

H.E. Ambassador Lin Songtian, Stellenbosch University, Wuhan College and Naspers announce educational and cultural exchange programmes

Cape Town, South Africa, 10 November 2017 – The Chinese Ambassador, His Excellency Lin Songtian, announced that Naspers will sponsor two additional Mandarin lecturers from China for 5 years at Stellenbosch University.  In addition, to support cultural exchange, students from Wuhan College will visit South Africa annually and a South African student will be fully sponsored to study in China

Mandarin Chinese was introduced at Stellenbosch University in the Department of Modern Foreign Languages in 2000. At the time, it was the first undergraduate programme in Mandarin at a residential university in South Africa. In 2012, the Mandarin Section was the first such unit in South Africa to introduce an Honours postgraduate degree in Mandarin. Students of Mandarin at Stellenbosch University distinguish themselves at the annual Chinese Bridge Competition and regularly receive merit scholarships from the Chinese Government for further study in China.

It also hosts one of two postgraduate programmes in South Africa for Chinese language studies. The Confucius Institute, established in 2009, provides support to the Chinese programme within SU's Department of Modern Foreign Languages as well as teaching Chinese language and culture programmes in 14 schools in and around Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Worcester and Knysna. 

Wuhan College provides full-time university and diploma education to 11,000 students. The university comprises of two schools and five departments. Most recently Charles Chen, one of the original co-founders of Tencent, made a transformative donation allowing Wuhan College to become one of the first non-profit internationalized application-oriented universities in China.  Students from Wuhan College will visit South Africa for 2 weeks and will attend cultural exchange programmes covering a wide variety of topics.

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At the event, Prof Hester Klopper, Vice-Rector: Strategy and Internationalisation, said that it is a special occasion as people from different parts of the world and from different sectors of society come together for a common cause.

“This is what we are seeing in action today – a meeting of minds and hearts in pursuit of knowledge and mutual understanding. And what better medium for that than language. Language, that wonderful tool with which humans can express their deepest feelings, highest aspirations, most advanced thoughts, sincerest wishes. Today’s announcement will bring us closer as partners through language and learning.”

SU has more than 4 000 international students from more than 100 countries; more than 300 agreements with universities throughout the world (including 8 partnerships with Chinese universities) and 46 students from China (including Hong Kong).

Photo

The Chinese Ambassador to South Africa, His Excellency Lin Songtian; Prof Hester Klopper, Stellenbosch University Vice-Rector: Strategy and Internationalisation; and Mr Koos Bekker, Chairperson of Naspers. (Photo by Stefan Els)