Official opening ceremony of the Confucius Institute of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and presentation of its publication "Introduction to the World of the Chinese Language"

The official inauguration of the "Confucius Institute" will take place on Saturday, October 15, 2022, at 11:00 AM in the Ceremony Hall of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

The "Confucius Institute" was founded at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in December 2018 and is a joint venture between AUTh, Shanghai International Studies University (SISU), and the Confucius Institute Headquarters. To date, more than 400 students of all ages and professions have enrolled in the Confucius Institute at AUTh and have been taught the Chinese language and culture.

The goal of the "Confucius Institute" is to teach and promote the Chinese language, develop collaborative educational and research programs among universities, and promote Chinese culture to the broader community of Thessaloniki.

As part of the event, the book "Introduction to the World of the Chinese Language (中文导学)" will be presented. This is an innovative handbook aimed at learning the Chinese language and is the work of the scientific team of the "Confucius Institute" at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

On the occasion of the inauguration of the "Confucius Institute," the Rector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Professor Nikolaos G. Papaioannou, stated, "The significant contribution of the 'Confucius Institute' of A.U.Th. and the publication of its book clearly demonstrate that once again A.U.Th. leads by undertaking substantial scientific activities and outward collaborations beyond the borders of Greece and Europe, such as those between A.U.Th. and SISU of China."

The Director of the Confucius Institute at A.U.Th., Professor Roula Tsokalidou, stated, "In the field of Teaching Chinese as a Second Language (TCSOL), Chinese is considered as 'the next giant,' the emerging power in the language learning domain. I believe that this perspective is now possible in Greece as well. The establishment of the 'Confucius Institute' is a significant step towards this important goal."

Ινστιτούτο Κομφούκιος ΑΠΘ: Τρία χρόνια πλούσιας δράσης
In its three years of operation, the Confucius Institute of A.U.Th has already demonstrated significant research work, with numerous publications, articles in scientific journals, presentations at international conferences, and more.
One particular project is "Made in China-中国制造" (September 2021), which includes, among other things, the production of clothing inspired by Chinese culture, in collaboration with the Department of Creative Design and Clothing at the International University.

Furthermore, the Confucius Institute of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki also received the second place among 496 entries from Confucius Institutes worldwide with the thematic song titled "我的一天-Wǒ de yītiān-My Day" (2022), performed by the teachers and students of the Institute.
The event will be live-streamed through the link:
https://www.auth.gr/.../teleti-egkainion-toy-institoytoy.../

The event will be accompanied by music performed by the Symphony Orchestra of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Sino-Hellenic Performing Arts Alliance.