An Open House held by Confucius Institute in Bratislava, Slovakia

On October 30, an Open House was held in the Confucius Institute in Bratislava at Slovak University of Technology. Director Peter Paulen of the Confucius Institute, his wife Dana, and Chinese Director Ding Shude attended the event. Other attendees included local Chinese teachers, volunteers and students from Confucius classes and teaching venues. Three Slovak students speaking excellent Chinese, who previously studied at Chinese universities including Tianjin University (TJU), shared their experiences with participants.

The Confucius Institute in Bratislava, jointly established by TJU and the Slovak University of Technology, is the first Confucius Institute in Slovakia, and also the first one among engineering universities in Europe.

The Open House aimed at getting local students more familiar with China and TJU. Those who studied in China under the scholarship of the Confucius Institute demonstrated their understanding of Chinese culture and shared their learning experience at TJU with other attendees. They exhibited paper-cuts, Chinese paintings, Chinese calligraphy, seal cutting, and other Chinese traditional craftworks they made, which roused strong interest among the audience. What’s more, some students have received scholarships from the Confucius Institute, and will begin their studies in China this year.

At present, the Confucius Institute in Bratislava is responsible for three teaching venues, including the Slovak University of Technology, Sibirska Primary School, and Matej Bel University. Additionally, another teaching venue will be officially opened at the University of Economics in Bratislava on November 7. Now a total of more than 200 students are studying at the Confucius Institute in Bratislava. With the constant expansion of student enrollment, its activities are receiving more and more attention and support from the local government. The Confucius Institute will hold more diverse activities with the support of the local Chinese Embassy and the guidance of Hanban (Confucius Institute Headquarters) next year.