Chinese Confucius Teaching Point Berths In UniPort
Preparatory to the commencement of lectures, the Confucius Chinese Teaching Point has been commissioned in the University of Port Harcourt. This welcome development would enable suitably qualified and interested candidates to apply for admission to study Chinese Mandarin. The Teaching Point was opened in Delta Park on Friday, June 28, 2019.
Speaking during the final inspection and commissioning of the new Teaching Point, Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Professor Charles Esimone, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Professor Carol Arinze-Umobi, expressed delight at the prompt transformation of the former administrative building in Delta Park customised to host the programme. The commissioning ceremony followed an earlier exploratory visit to the University by a combined team of Chinese personnel and officials of Nnamdi Azikiwe University which hosts the main Confucius Chinese Language Institute in Nigeria.
“I am glad to formally inaugurate this building and rename it ‘the origin,’ being the first administrative building of the University of Port Harcourt. I am happy you sent us back to the origin where the University commenced administrative activities. Early this year, when I came here on resource verification, I met it dilapidated and my impression of it was very poor. I have inspected similar facilities elsewhere, but I have never met any as prepared as the University of Port Harcourt. The Vice Chancellor, Professor Ndowa Lale, is very committed to the success of this programme and you can see it in his action, not in talking. I am so impressed by what I have seen here. You are hereby authorised to commence advertisement for students with immediate effect. We will send all the teaching materials and resource persons as final confirmation of your approval to take-off,” the UniZik Vice Chancellor’s representative said.
In his response, a highly-elated Vice Chancellor commended the UniZik delegation for the partnership, promising that the University would execute its part of the collaboration. “My success is essentially predicated on a dedicated team that shares my vision. We have decided to always do things big and do them well. Today is historic and we thank you for permitting us to hit the ground running. We are hoping that about 7,000 students would enroll in the Chinese Mandarin programme in this Teaching Point. Let me assure you that we would keep this centre functional and make it attractive to prospective students. With so many Asian companies in Port Harcourt and the Niger Delta, we expect a very viable centre here,” Professor Lale said.
The refurbished facility has a board room, director’s and coordinator’s office, interaction room, language laboratory, dining and kitchen facilities, restroom, 15 offices, library and over 10 classrooms.
The team had earlier paid a courtesy visit on Management of the University at the Senate building at which Principal Officers of the University were in attendance. Other members of the UniZik delegation included Associate Professor Zhang Ai Wu, Huang Changbin, Zhang Yudong, Dr Anas Elochukwu, Mrs Rosemary Ifeakor, Ugochukwu Emmanuel, Franklin Onwubiko and Onyemeachi Odinye.
