Robena Nicholl (left) accepts her certificate from Co-Director of the Confucius Institute Dr. Paul Song.
Cave Hill Campus is all about diversity
Thu, 11/24/2016 - 12:00am
The Confucius Centre’s new home at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies will soon be complete.
Word of this comes from Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal Professor Eudine Barriteau who outlined that by year-end, the new space will be available for occupation.
“With the imminent completion of the building in which the Centre will be housed, I look forward to the further integration of Chinese culture within our academic space and the wider society. You will be pleased to know that the Centre will be outfitted with a language lab and other training facilities, administrative offices and other features to further the very relevant work it is already doing,” she said.
In a speech highlighting cultural diversity during the institute’s graduation ceremony last week, Barriteau stated that since the start of the centre’s academic programmes in 2015, nearly 2 000 students have benefited from its teachings at three levels.
The Professor also outlined that the university is conducting a year-long pilot project at St. Stephen’s Primary School and Ellerslie Secondary School and offering after-school Chinese classes at Providence Secondary School and Sunday morning school for children of the Chinese community.
“The Cave Hill campus which is the sole accredited institution to offer internationally-recognised certification in Chinese language within Barbados and the OECS, will embark on its inaugural HSK and YCT tests this month to 60 students from the university, the Chinese community in Barbados and beyond. We are also collaborating with CXC to develop Chinese language curricula and textbooks for Caribbean schools,” she added.
Barriteau also pointed out that in spite of its recent decline in enrollment due to the imposition of fees on Barbadian students, the university’s student population remains the most diverse among The UWI campuses with students drawn from 29 countries across the region and the globe.
“Falling numbers have caused no concomitant reduction in the campus’ vibrancy as Cave Hill remains teeming with dynamism, vitality and a sense of community,” Barriteau stated.