By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
The University of Liberia has reached the decision to establish a BA Degree in Chinese Language and Culture, to be offered through the Amos Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities and Confucius Institute at the university.
The decision by the authority of the university was petitioned by Dr. Josephus M. Gray of Amos Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities, who formally petitioned the faculty senate of the university for a BA degree program in Chinese language and culture.
In a communication delivered on Friday, August 18, 2023, the University revealed that on August 15th and 17th respectively, 2023, the university held two meetings, the Academic Coordination Committee (ACC) meeting and the Faculty Senate meeting, in which Amos Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities and Confucius Institute at UL participated, and petitioned the University of Liberia to Bachelor of Arts degree in Chinese language and culture.
The communication from the University revealed that during the ACC meeting, Asst. Prof. Dexter S. Sumo, Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Liberia – CIUL, stated that the overall goal of the undergraduate program is to establish teaching and understanding of the Chinese language and cultural exchange that will contribute significantly to Liberia’s educational system and to solve language barrier issues in Liberia and its surroundings.
Asst. Prof. Sumo, added that the aim of teaching Chinese Language and culture at the University of Liberia is to make the University of Liberia an Academic environment where students can obtain a career education in Chinese Language and Culture that will expose them to challenges and opportunities, further global peace and understanding in the world through educational, economic and cultural exchanges.
Assistant Professor Dexter S. Sumo, continued by stating that the objectives of teaching the Chinese language and culture to students at the University of Liberia and all interested persons in the Republic of Liberia, is to teach all other aspects of the Chinese experience which viewed as appropriate and beneficial to Liberia.
Accordingly, he believes it will further strengthen the good relations between the people of the People’s Republic of China and the people of the Republic of Liberia.
He continued that with the recent increase of Chinese Investment in the Liberian economy and the growing number of Liberian students, scholars, and professionals seeking higher education and training in China, Liberia now has a high demand for professional Chinese language speakers.
As such, he said it’s against this backdrop that the Confucius Institute has decided to propose a Bachelor degree program to satisfy said demand.
He further stated that the University has local and international instructors at the Confucius Institute offering courses that prepare students for the degree program.
“We have local and international instructors at the Confucius Institute offering courses that prepare students for Diploma, certificate, and a minor in Chinese Language.
The institute has experts in fields apart from the Chinese language who are willing to devote quality time to building up students’ future career needs.
Classes are conducted on both Capitol Hill and Fendallcampuses of the University of Liberia.”
The Confucius Institute is named after the great Chinese scholar; philosopher and educator who lived in the third century BC. Today, Confucius remains one of China’s most influential individuals because of his ideas for establishing a strong and viable Chinese society.
Confucius’s principles included a call for the introduction of the Aschola philosopher to Chinese bureaucracy for enlightened and efficient governance, and added that his ideas continue to guide and influence Chinese society and the world at large.
The Confucius Institute at the University of Liberia was established in December 2008 through the joint effort of the cooperative partnership between Changsha University of Science and Technology and the University of Liberia.
For more than 10 years, warmly welcomed by Liberian people, the UL Confucius Institute has greatly promoted Sino-Liberian educational and cultural exchanges, cooperation, and making contributions to the outstanding friendship between the two peoples.
Since its establishment in 2008, the Confucius Institute has offered its program in four categories certificate, diploma, minor and foreign language requirement (elective).
More than 150 students have graduated with certificates, diplomas, and minors respectively and some have gone for further studies. The Confucius Institute has extended its teaching points to various institutions of learning in and around Monrovia.
