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Issue: 912 Date: 2/14/2008
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偉伯斯特大學「孔子學院」正式成立
中國政府漢辦核准 全球漢語熱撲面而來
Chinese Government Selects Webster University For Confucius Institute
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| 偉伯斯特大學孔子學院正式成立記者招待會後校長Meyers，前州長Bob Holden(左一)，前美國駐匈牙利大使George Walker與學生代表(左起)王京萍、張葉青、張小青，現代中文學校校長杜文征(右一)及美華協會前會長唐振飛合影 |
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【時報訊】籌備多時，聖路易偉伯斯特大學於中國新年2月7日上午十時，在該校聖路易城區大樓大廳舉行記者招待會，宣佈該校「孔子學院」正式成立，偉伯斯特大學校長Richard S. Meyers興奮指出，選在中國新年當天宣佈這項好消息時光，別具意義，該校「孔子學院」將是密蘇里州唯一中國政府經由中國國家漢語國際推廣領導小組辦公室(簡稱漢辦)核准成立之漢語教學資源和服務中心。當天出席記者招待會之代表並有該校公共論壇主持人前(2001-2005)密蘇里州州長Bob Holden及該校監事、前美國駐匈牙利(2003-2006)大使George Walker。Meyers校長，Holden州長及Walker大使之演講全文請見時報本期英文版。
偉伯斯特大學「孔子學院」是一個非營利公共學院，宗旨在於弘揚中華語文及文化，以全球孔子學院漢語教學資源加速漢語之推廣和學習，近年來，全球各地方興未艾的「漢語熱」撲面而來，全世界看到了古老中國儒家文化之博大精深及漢語之強勢傳播，以聖人「孔子」為名，回歸中華文化主流的孔子學院應運而生，偉伯斯特大學「孔子學院」將成為密蘇里州大聖路易地區中文教學資源服務之中心。
當天應邀觀禮之華人社區人士有中國人協會會長、密蘇里大學馮鴻璣博士，現代中文學校校長杜文征，美華協會前會長尹世珍、唐振飛等多人及三位偉伯斯特大學中國大陸留學生王京萍、張葉青、張小青。
偉伯斯特大學孔子學院是中國政府在美國核准設立之第38所孔子學院，也是全美唯一四所私立大學設有孔子學院之大學之一。偉伯斯特大學將和北京語言大學(Beijing Language and Culture University,BLCU)合作，共同在大聖路易地區推動中文教育和中華文化。漢辦和北京語言大學將提供二名中文教學老師師資及大量教學教材圖書予孔子學院。孔子學院將設在偉伯斯特大學在聖路易城區具有歷史古跡特色之古郵局校區，將於2008年秋季班開始，提供各項中文語言教學課程及活動。
孔子學院中文教學課程將涵蓋自幼稚園到12年級，同時提供有中華文化課程予聖路易社區居民、企業、學校和組織，讓美國人更加瞭解中國，這個快速成長又有巨大經濟力量的國家。
偉伯斯特大學校長Richard S. Meyers表示，孔子學院的成立是該校莫大的榮譽，他指出「孔子學院是經過激烈的競爭後，獲得中國政府的核准」，「我們的獲選是因為我校之教育品質和長期不斷在全球教育引領上之努力和成績」。全球第一所孔子學院係於2004年在韓國漢城成立，第二年，美國馬里蘭大學成立了在美國的第一所孔子學院。
偉伯斯特大學「孔子學院」籌備工作由前任密州州長Bob Holden及該校文理學院院長David Wilson共同推動，Bob Holden於州長卸任後在偉伯斯特大學主持公共論壇議題，並擔任美中西區中美協會副會長，與中國大陸建立良好經貿文化交流關系。Bob Holden前州長曾親自訪問偉伯斯特大學孔子學院在中國之合作學術單位北京語言大學。北京語言大學表示將可以利用教學、科研、師資等方面的資源優勢為美方漢語課程的建設提供幫助。
前州長Bob Holden表示，美國中西部具有學習漢語的良好氛圍，本地人民對學習漢語及中國文化很感興趣，目前在美國密蘇里州還沒有學習漢語的基地，因此孔子學院是一個很重要的教學和文化學院。Bob Holden還指出，世界各國人民不應僅限於經濟貿易的交往，更重要的是應該在文化的深層領域能夠相互理解和認同，這樣才能保證世界的和平與穩定。孔子學院對溝通中西方文化具有橋樑作用，並能夠擴大美國學生的視野。
Chinese Government Selects Webster University For Confucius Institute
February 7, 2008 - St. Louis, Mo. - The government of the People's Republic of China (PRC), through the China National Office of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (HANBAN), has selected Webster University as the permanent site of the only Confucius Institute in the state of Missouri.
The Confucius Institute is a non-profit, public institute with the goal of promoting the understanding of Chinese language and culture, the acceleration of multiculturalism and supporting Chinese teaching internationally through affiliated Confucius Institutes around the globe.
Webster University is housing the 38th PRC-approved Confucius Institute in the United States. Webster is one of only four private universities in the United States to be chosen to host a Confucius Institute. Webster will partner with the Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) to promote Chinese language and culture in the St. Louis metropolitan area. BLCU and HANBAN will provide two Chinese instructors and thousands of library volumes for the Webster University Confucius Institute. The institute will be located at the University's downtown St. Louis campus in the historic Old Post Office. It will open for programs, classes, activities and events in Fall 2008.
The Institute will bring language instruction for K-12 teachers, culture classes and numerous special events to the St. Louis community's residents, businesses, schools and organizations with the goal of promoting Americans' understanding of China, one of the world's fastest-growing countries and largest economies.
Webster University President Richard S. Meyers considers the Confucius Institute an enormous honor for Webster University. "Receiving the Chinese government's approval for a Confucius Institute is extremely competitive," said Meyers. "We were chosen because of our quality and our continued demonstrated leadership in international education. I am extremely pleased to make this announcement today."
The first Confucius Institute opened in Seoul, South Korea, in 2004. The following year, the Office of Chinese Language Council International, headquartered in Beijing, chose the University of Maryland to be the first U.S. university to open one of the institutes.
Webster University (www.webster.edu) is an international, multi-campus university, headquartered in St. Louis, Mo. Founded in 1915 as a small private college, Webster now offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs through five schools and colleges in more than 100 domestic and international campus locations. The student population of more than 21,000 men and women ranges in age from traditional college-age students to adult learners, and represents more than 150 nationalities. The university is committed to excellence in teaching, to joining theory and practice, to small class sizes, and to educating students to be lifelong independent learners, fully prepared to participate in an increasingly international society.
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| Governor Bob Holden (left), Ambassador George H. Walker, III (center), and Webster University President Richard Meyers gather with Webster University students from China at a press conference announcing the establishment of Missouri's only Confucius Institute at Webster University. |
聖路易偉伯斯特大學校長Richard S. Meyers於中國新年2月7日宣佈該校孔子學院正式成立 |
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| 偉伯斯特大學宣佈孔子學院正式成立，圖為該校國際學生交流計劃負責人Debbie Pierce博士 |
現代中文學校校長杜文征與前州長Bob Holden 討論中文教育現況 |
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| 偉伯斯特大學公共論壇主持人、前州長Bob Holden |
偉伯斯特大學監事、前美國駐匈牙利大使George Walker |
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| 偉伯斯特大學校長Richard S. Meyers與(右起)馮鴻璣教授、美華協會前會長尹世珍、唐振飛及聖路易國際機構Ann Ryneason合影 |
偉伯斯特大學孔子學院成立記者招待會 |
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| 偉伯斯特大學校長Meyers與該校中國同學左起王京萍、張葉青、張小青合影 |
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