Confucius Institute gala event to celebrate anniversary

In celebration of the anniversary of the Confucius Institute at The University of Memphis, the Chinese Full-Moon Festival, and the birthday of Confucius, the institute is holding a gala concert at the Germantown Performing Arts Center.

The gala event will be a dinner, concert and a silent auction, according to Hsiang-te Kung, director of the Confucius Institute. The concert, Sept. 14, will feature Liling Zhou, a soloist from China, playing a guzheng, a traditional Chinese plucking instrument. It will also feature other Chinese musicians and local artists. The auction will feature art and calligraphy that should be affordable. The event also celebrates the teachings of Confucius.

"Confucius was a wonderful teacher who taught 3,000 disciples from all different social classes. Before Bush's 'No Child Left Behind,' Confucius taught that same principle," Kung said.

In addition to the gala concert, the Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art is loaning two exhibits of Chinese artifacts to be displayed at the Ned McWherter Library for the remainder of the semester.

The institute was established at The U of M to further the Chinese language program and an understanding of contemporary Chinese and Chino-American culture, said Kung.

"As it is said in the Olympics, I believe in one world, one dream," Kung said.

The Chinese language program and the Confucius Institute work closely with each other to create a better Chinese language community at the U of M, said Kung.

"The institute and the language program were started about a year and a half ago, so it worked out great for the faculty and students," said Ralph Albanese, Chair of the Foreign Languages and Literatures Department.

Albanese said the institute has helped with the program and students. The number of students grew from 26 to 59 students from the start of the program last year. There are 17 Chinese courses offered. Some teachers have been provided by the Chinese government because it supports the Confucius Institute.

The staff is always changing, however, because the instructors that come from China only stay for a semester or a year. Lan Zhang, assistant professor of Chinese, has had to train new teachers each semester said Albanese.

Zhang said the program is not large but it is growing. She said she is very excited that the number of students in the classes has doubled, and she is happy the Confucius Institute is helping.

Kung said the establishment of the institute is a great asset to The U of M. He said it has brought interest to The U of M because it is the only Confucius Institute in the Midsouth. The Chinese government has donated 4,000 books to the school, and also provides most of the staff of the institute who come from the Hubei University in China.

Basketball Coach John Calipari had 15 coaches from China observe his team last fall, and one coach remained with him through the season. The Confucius Institute collaborated with the Chinese government to arrange the meetings between Calipari and the Chinese coaches.

Kung said the Asian Studies and International Trade program has worked closely with the institute and the business college has also expressed interest in the program. Albanese said the Chinese program is experiencing a lot of growth, and gaining attention. Even prominent businesses have helped with the program and the Confucius institute. Rudi Scheidt, entrepreneur, gave a generous donation to help start the program. FedEx has also been helpful to the Confucius Institute, said Kung.