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Confucius Institute at Western Michigan University
2009-2014
2009-2014 F ive Year Report
John M. Dunn
President
Western Michigan University
4
Wolfgang Schlör
Confucius Institute Director
Western Michigan University
5
Confucius Institute at Western Michigan University
2009-2014
Welcome to the Confucius Institute at Western Michigan
University (CI at WMU). The Institute is a non-profit
organization jointly funded by Western Michigan University
(WMU) and HANBAN (the executive body of the Chinese
Language Council International and part of China’s Ministry
of Education) that manages a collaborative effort between
WMU and Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU).
One of nearly 100 Confucius Institutes located throughout
the United States, each with a distinctive program, the CI
at WMU’s principal goal is to provide Chinese language
and cultural programs throughout Southwest Michigan.
The primary constituents of the Institute’s programs are
WMU students and faculty, regional K-12 schools, local
businesses, and the broader community of Southwest
Michigan.
6
The CI at WMU was established in November 2009 and we are pleased to share with you in
this booklet an overview of our accomplishments. Our Institute continues to grow and expand
with each year, introducing new programs, forging new partnerships and providing language and
cultural learning opportunities for Southwest Michigan. Over the course of our first five years, we
have actively engaged and developed programming in two major West Michigan school districts
and have hosted hundreds of courses and workshops on Chinese language and culture on WMU’s
campus and throughout the region.
7
Sangren Hall
8
One of the top-100 public universities
in the United States, Western Michigan
University, founded in 1903, is committed
to being learner centered, discovery
driven and globally engaged. The Carnegie
Foundation for the Advancement of
Teaching has classified WMU as one of the
nation’s 147 public research universities,
and U.S. News & World Report has
recognized it as one of the United States’
best universities for the past 24 years.
The University offers 251 academic
programs to its nearly 25,000 students
pursuing bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral
degrees; more than 20 percent are
enrolled in its 73 master’s or 30 doctoral
programs. WMU also offers a CEA-
accredited English as a Second Language
program—CELCIS, a comprehensive
international student orientation program,
and hosts numerous volunteer, cultural,
and touring opportunities. More than 1,800
international students representing 100
countries are studying in WMU’s nationally
recogn ized p rograms in bus iness ,
computer science, engineering, aviation,
health care, education, and many others.
The University is also home to a private
medical school and it is affiliated with a
private law school.
WMU’s main campus is located in
Kalamazoo, Michigan, a safe, friendly,
college town with easy access to Chicago
and Detroit and within a one hour drive
of Lake Michigan’s beautiful beaches and
numerous outdoor recreation areas.
The Confucius Institute at WMU was
founded in fall 2009, with a focus on
expanding knowledge of Chinese language
and culture throughout West Michigan.
WMU is proud to be among the 100
institutions in the United States hosting
a Confucius Institute. The University
greatly values the rich opportunities that
the Confucius Institute at WMU provides
campus and the community to become
more globally engaged.
9
Beijing Language and Culture University
(BLCU) is located in northwest Beijing,
the capital of China and center of
the country’s political, cultural and
international activities, offering an
ideal location from which to study
Chinese language, history, politics and
culture. BLCU is the only university
in China whose main mission is to
teach Chinese language and culture to
international students.
BLCU provides teachers to the CI at
WMU on an annual basis who are
trained in teaching Chinese as a Second
Language and in conducting Chinese
culture courses. In our inaugural year,
the Institute and the WMU community
welcomed from BLCU six teachers and
Associate Director Dr. Jiwei Fu, who
greatly aided the Institute in carrying
out its mission. In our fifth year, the CI
at WMU is pleased to have seventeen
BLCU teachers and volunteer teachers
and Associate Director Dr. Haitao Yu
to support our programming. They all
have contributed to and enriched our
program in ways we could not have
imagined.
BLCU and WMU have a long history
of collaboration, which was initiated by
Dr. Wang Xiaojun, WMU professor of
Chinese language, who was a faculty
member at BLCU before coming to
the United States. For many years,
Dr. Wang has led a study abroad
program at BLCU for WMU Chinese
language students, and many of
those students subsequently enroll
at BLCU for a semester or academic
year of additional language study.
These cooperative ventures have been
enhanced through our partnership in
the Confucius Institute program.
10
Beijing Language and CuLture university Beijing Language and CuLture university
BLCU Campus | International Wall
11
M a i n P r o g r a m s a n d
The first initiative of the CI at WMU was to meet with the Superintendents leading the nine school districts in
Kalamazoo County. In January 2010, Dr. Wang, Director of the CI at WMU and Dr. Donald McCloud, Dean of
WMU’s Diether H. Haenicke Institute for Global Education, briefed the Superintendents on the programs the
Institute could offer and other potential opportunities for school districts within the geographical boundaries of
the newly established CI at WMU. At the time, all local school districts were facing severe financial constraints,
and the initial responses by the Superintendents vividly reflected their concerns about financing new program
initiatives. Nevertheless, this early contact with local schools opened the way for developing Confucius Institute
programs within several local districts.
Accompl i shments
Portage Public Schools
The most positive response to the introduction
of the Confucius Institute program came
from Portage Public Schools (PPS), the district
immediately south of Kalamazoo. With a student
populat ion of more than 8,500 students in
grades kindergarten through 12th, the district is
among the most progressive in Southwestern
Michigan. In meetings that followed soon after
the init ial presentation to Superintendents,
PPS administrators explained that they already
had created a plan for an experimental three-
year pilot program aimed at introducing Chinese
language at the e lementar y -schoo l leve l .
While the Confucius Institute was not in a
position to provide block-grant funding, the
availability of Chinese teachers and volunteers
already trained in teaching Chinese as a Second
Language provided the core instructional and
leadership group to begin the Portage experiment
in the fall of 2010. Two first-grade classrooms
at Amberly Elementary and two at Lake Center
Elementary were randomly selected through a
lottery system to begin Chinese language studies.
14 Confucius Institute at WMU14
BLCU volunteers Han-Han and Jinwei Peng
were the p ioneer Chinese teachers at
Amberly Elementary and Lake Center Elementary.
The Chinese language program in Portage was
very successful and extremely popular among
parents and teachers. Over the next several years,
in addition to classroom language study, a number
of community cultural activities were offered—
many directly involving the children—to expand
and reinforce the language-learning process.
The program at Portage’s two high schools followed
a different path. Rather than focus immediately
on offering Chinese language, the Social Studies
Coordinators at Portage Northern and Portage
Central High Schools implemented a plan to use
BLCU volunteers to introduce Chinese cultural and
historical content into existing classes. Working
with the high school teachers, the BLCU volunteers
researched and developed short units to present.
15Confucius Institute at WMU
Main Program
s/ Accom
plishments
16 Confucius Institute at WMU
Portage Public Schools
Aimed at sat is fy ing Amer ican students’
g rea t cu r ios i t y about Ch ina , some o f
the diverse topics covered in these course-
enrichment units were: Chinese pen and ink
drawing, China’s government, l ife in modern
China, Chinese geography, China since 1900,
women’s roles in China, Chinese call igraphy,
Ancient China, China after the Cultural Revolution,
and Buddhism, Daoism and Legalism in China.
During the third year of the program, leadership
changes at Port age Publ ic Schools sh i fted
program interests in different direct ions. A
fourth year of elementary Chinese was offered
as an after-school activity, but in the spring of
2014 the elementary Chinese language program
at Portage closed. The elementary Chinese
language program in the Portage schools reached
approximately 600 students over four years.
Meanwhile, the PPS high school enrichment
program has continued, with the greatest level of
activity being carried out at Portage Northern High
School. In the summer of 2014, Portage Northern
High School and the CI at WMU began planning for
Chinese language to be offered in conjunction with
the International Baccalaureate program (IB) already
operating there. It is anticipated that during the 2014-
2015 academic year, IB teacher training, curriculum
development and marketing for students entering
high school in the fall of 2015 will get underway.
During the second year of the experimental
elementary language program at Portage Public
Schools, HANBAN approved funding in March
2011 for four Confucius Classrooms to be located
at Amberly and Lake Center elementary schools
and Portage Northern and Central high schools.
The classrooms were launched in fall 2011, but
leadership changes at PPS meant that the Confucius
Classroom programs were never fully utilized.
In the summer of 2010, the CI at WMU sent a group
of ten teachers and administrators from Michigan
to China for an educational tour. The group studied
Chinese language and culture at BLCU, as well
as traveling for a week in China to experience the
unique charm and culture of Shaoxing, Hangzhou
and Shanghai. The educational tour was offered
for the following two summers for smaller groups.
17Confucius Institute at WMU
Main Program
s/ Accom
plishments
Forest Hills Public Schools (FHPS) is located on
the east side of Grand Rapids, Michigan, about
an hour north of Kalamazoo. FHPS is a large school
district of more than 10,000 students. The district
has offered an immersion Spanish language program
for 15 years, so with strong parental and community
support, accepting the challenge of developing
an immersion Chinese program appeared to be a
next logical step for the District. Meadow Brook
Elementary School was selected to house two
immersion classes per grade, in which the students
received a half day of their instruction in Chinese
and a half day in English. The immersion Chinese
program is based on mathematics and science. It
is one of the few Chinese immersion elementary
Forest Hills Public Schools
18 Confucius Institute at WMU18
programs of its kind in Michigan. Launched at
the kindergarten level, the program now extends
through grade 6. Traditional Chinese language
classes are also offered at the high-school level.
While FHPS has collaborated with Confucius
Institute programs at Michigan State University, as
well as the Asia Society, the CI at WMU became
an enthusiastic partner with FHPS in early 2012,
initially placing one teacher at the high-school level
and one volunteer at Meadow Brook Elementary.
The following year, the number of teachers and
volunteers tripled to six teachers and volunteers.
19Confucius Institute at WMU
Main Program
s/ Accom
plishments
19
Forest Hills Public Schools
Confucius Institute at WMU20
Our partnership and commitment to
their program has continued to pick
up momentum and expand in new ways. In
addition to providing support staff, the CI
at WMU holds summer cultural activities,
such as bus trips to Chicago’s Chinatown for
students and their families.
In 2014, the CI at WMU in collaboration
with FHPS and Meadow Brook Elementary
began a project to translate essential
classroom materials into Chinese. Math
and science readers, story books, and other
materials have been translated for use in
daily classes.
The CI at WMU and FHPS are planning to
develop a Confucius Classroom at Northern
Trails 5/6 School, which houses the Chinese
language program for grades 5 and 6.
21Confucius Institute at WMU
Main Program
s/ Accom
plishments
21
Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, the CI at WMU placed
a BLCU volunteer at the Montessori School of Kalamazoo. The
Montessori curriculum differs substantially from a traditional school, so
it was necessary to experiment and adapt our methods and approaches
to Chinese language instruction to fit the Montessori curriculum and
teaching format. Through experimentation, the program has transitioned
to an after-school language class for those students interested in
studying Chinese. As a private school with a specialized curriculum, the
Montessori School of Kalamazoo attracted a diverse but select student
population, and although the program is expected to remain small it will
play a vital role in the language development of the children participating
in the program.
Montessori School of Kalamazoo
22 Confucius Institute at WMU22
The Kalamazoo Public School District (KPS) is the
largest in Kalamazoo County, with an enrollment of
approximately 12,500 students attending one of four high
schools, five middle schools and 18 elementary schools.
Since fall of 2013, KPS has offered Chinese language
classes as an after-school elective in a program located at
Prairie Ridge Elementary School. The District has secured
its own teaching and support staff, while the CI at WMU
provided textbooks and instructional materials.
The district also offers specialized schools—magnet
schools focused on the arts, math, science, and other
areas. It has received national recognition through the
“Kalamazoo Promise,” which offers a four-year tuition
scholarship to a Michigan university for any student who
completes grades Kindergarten through 12th grade in
the KPS District. Prorated, partial tuition scholarships are
available to KPS graduates who did not complete their
entire K-12 education in the District.
Kalamazoo Public Schools
23Confucius Institute at WMU
Main Program
s/ Accom
plishments
The CI at WMU encourages and actively seeks partnerships within WMU,
regionally, and globally to expand our scope of activities and programs.
Past collaborations have included hosting activities or events with the Chinese
language program at WMU, the Timothy Light Center for Chinese Studies, the
WMU Department of Theatre, the Chinese Association of Greater Kalamazoo,
the Kalamazoo Chamber of Commerce, Inland Lakes Schools, and many other
organizations.
In addition to the active Chinese programs offered at Forest Hills Public Schools
and Portage Public Schools, the CI at WMU collaborates most frequently with
WMU’s Chinese language program and the Timothy Light Center for Chinese
Studies. Currently, the CI at WMU is providing one Confucius Institute teacher and
one volunteer to teach for-credit courses in WMU’s Chinese language program.
Considered our sister center, the Timothy Light Center for Chinese Studies and
the CI at WMU collaborate each year on several events or activities, including film
screenings and guest lecturers. Since 2012, the CI at WMU has cosponsored 12
lectures in collaboration with the Light Center. A comprehensive listing of lecture
speakers and topics is included in the appendix.
Partnerships and Collaborations
24 Confucius Institute at WMU
25Confucius Institute at WMU
Main Program
s/ Accom
plishments
In addition to established school partnerships and programs, the CI at WMU will often contribute to special events at non-partner schools throughout Michigan.
Events have included cultural celebrations, Asia festivals, diversity days, and more. The CI at WMU will work with schools to prepare an event or activity that best
meets their objective. Requests for school events have continued to increase each year as Chinese language and cultural programs in Michigan gain popularity and
momentum.
The CI at WMU also supports the Kalamazoo Country Day School, providing a volunteer teacher for their weekly one-hour, after-school Chinese language program.
The Modern Chinese Language School of Kalamazoo, a community language school, is also supported by the CI at WMU, which provides volunteer instructors for
weekend Chinese language classes.
Other School-based Events and Activities
26 Confucius Institute at WMU
27Confucius Institute at WMU
Main Program
s/ Accom
plishments
Chinese Culture Classes are a
staple of our Confucius Institute.
These non-credit, low-cost classes are
taught in English and are open to WMU
faculty, staff, students and the public.
Among some of the first activities
of our Institute, Culture Classes are
offered every semester. Classes have
varied over the years covering a wide
range of topics, including Chinese
cooking, crafts, dance, medicine,
painting, calligraphy, music, modern
culture and Tai Chi.
Workshops on Chinese culture were
introduced in 2012 that are open to the
public. They provide an opportunity to
learn about a specific aspect of Chinese
culture in one or two hours. Past
workshops have introduced attendees
to Chinese paper cutting, Chinese knot
tying, Chinese calligraphy, and more.
Chinese Culture Classes and Workshops
28 Confucius Institute at WMU
29Confucius Institute at WMU
Main Program
s/ Accom
plishments
HSK Language Test
The CI at WMU offered the first
HSK test on campus April 9, 2011.
The HSK is the only standardized
Mandarin Chinese proficiency test for
non-native speakers recognized by the
Chinese government, which was first
developed and offered at BLCU. Upon
successful completion of the test,
an HSK certificate is issued, which is
recognized without limitation in the
People’s Republic of China and which
can be useful for higher education and
professional purposes.
The HSK, HSKK and YCT are now
offered several times a year through
the CI at WMU. The number of test
takers has continued to grow with
each year, drawing in more participants
and from states as far as New York.
In 2014, 45 participants took the HSK
through the CI at WMU.
30 Confucius Institute at WMU
Staff of the CI at WMU conducted research
studies to examine the impact of beginning
Chinese language programs on learning patterns
among elementary school students. In response
to parental concerns, the study’s primary
goal was to learn whether and how Mandarin
language programs at Amberly and Lake
Center elementary schools influenced overall
reading and other scholastic achievements
among students participating in the language
program compared to students who did not
study Mandarin. Achievement data were being
measured regularly by the State of Michigan
using the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early
Literacy Skills (DIBELS) test.
The findings of this study proved to be surprising
and very interesting. Although the statistical
measures were close, in all test cycles the
students participating in the Mandarin language
elementary school program performed slightly
higher than their non-Mandarin language learning
peers in virtually all the reading categories
measured. This was particularly interesting
since the students in the Mandarin group
were selected through a random process that
reduced or eliminated many possible individual
motivational explanations, and the data does not
provide an explanation for why these students
should have performed above the cohort average
for each grade level.
The results of this research, as well as other
issues pertaining to the introduction of Chinese
language classes at Portage elementary schools,
were reported at the Midwest Conference on
Asian Affairs (MCAA), the regional grouping of
the Association for Asian Studies, which was held
at WMU in September of 2012. The CI at WMU
panel at the event was titled, “Lessons Learned
from Implementation and Initial Research
Results.” The presenters were CI at WMU
Director Dr. Donald McCloud, Associate Director
Dr. Jiwei Fu, Kimberly Ritter, assistant director
for school outreach, and Maran Subramanian,
graduate research coordinator.
Research
31Confucius Institute at WMU
Main Program
s/ Accom
plishments
T i m e l i n e o f H i g h l i g h t s
The CI at WMU has hosted hundreds of events, celebrations, meetings and
lectures since its founding in fall 2009. Our timeline highlights a variety of those
activities and events held each year.
7.7
11.23
Signing Ceremony
Opening Ceremony
The formal opening ceremony for the CI at WMU was held in the
Dalton Center on WMU’s main campus. WMU and BLCU senior
administrators and the Directors of Hanban attended this event.
Dignitaries from China included BLCU Chair and Professor Lujiang
Wang, Professor Lixia Chen, Director of the Confucius Institute
Department at BLCU; Yanchong Peng, Director of the BLCU
President’s Office, and Qian Wen, BLCU Project Coordinator. Two
representatives from the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago
also attended: Vice Consul General Maoming Chu and Educational
Consul Qiang Liu.
President John M. Dunn, Dr. Donald McCloud and Dr. Xiaojun Wang trav-
eled to Beijing for the official signing ceremony establishing the CI at WMU.
2009
34 Confucius Institute at WMU
35Confucius Institute at WMU
Timeline of highlights
4. 6
The C I a t WMU he ld a th ree -
day, Chinese teaching resource
exhibition open to the public at Waldo
Library on WMU’s main campus.
Ten Portage Public Schools teachers and administrators
participated in the Educational Exchange in China,
traveling to Beijing, Shaoxing and Shanghai to learn
Chinese language and culture, and to give presentations
at workshops held at BLCU.
7. 17-31Chinese Teaching Materials Exhibition Educational Exchange in China
2010
36 Confucius Institute at WMU
The CI at WMU participated
in Bronco Bash, a welcome
event held for students each
fall, where staff promoted
CI at WMU culture classes
and introduced Chinese
culture to students through
various hands-on activities,
performances and displays.
9. 9
10. 10Haiyan Li, Economic Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in
Washington D.C., visited the CI at WMU and the Portage
Public Schools Elementary Chinese language programs.
Members of the CI at WMU presented
research and current projects at the Timothy
Light Center for Chinese Studies Internal
Conference, including Dr. Xiaojun Wang, Han
Han, Jinwei Peng, Maran Subramain, Ran Shi,
Yingjie Chi, Xun Sun, Kun Ma and Xiaojing
Yang.
11. 17Light Center
Internal Conference
Bronco Bash
Visit from Counselor Haiyan Li
37Confucius Institute at WMU
Timeline of highlights
2011
38 Confucius Institute at WMU
An informational seminar on China was held
for area high school students. More than 175
students representing five area high schools
gathered at WMU’s Fetzer Center to learn
about China from WMU professors and CI at
WMU staff.
1. 17Seminar on China for
High School Students
39Confucius Institute at WMU
Timeline of highlights
2011
A Language Partner Ice Breaker event was held, which provided an
opportunity for Chinese language learners and students from China
to meet and play games.
1. 17
2. 5
Language Partner Ice Breaker
CAGK CNY
Employees and volunteers of the CI at
WMU participated in the Chinese New
Year celebration hosted by the Chinese
Assoc ia t ion of Greater Ka lamazoo,
performing skits and giving Chinese opera
demonstrations.
3. 19 Ping Pong Competition
40 Confucius Institute at WMU
Co-hosted a concert by Hong Zhang, Binghamton University, of music
representing China’s ethnic groups
3. 24 Ethnic Groups Songs Concert
Hosted a WulinHanyun Chinese Martial Arts and Folk Music performance at WMU’s Fetzer Center.
4. 10 WulinHanyun Martial Arts
41Confucius Institute at WMU
Timeline of highlights
2011
The CI at WMU and the Timothy Light Center for
Chinese Studies cosponsored a lecture on Chinese
Calligraphy by Dr. Paul Wang, dermatologist and
internationally recognized Chinese artist.
6. 28
6. 29Calligraphy Lecture
Curious Kids Summer Camp
The CI at WMU Curious Kids Summer Academy was
held at Portage Public Schools.
D r. J iwe i Fu t rave led to
Milan, Italy to attend the 2011
World University Confucius
Institute Conference. Both
Drs. Dunn and Light took part
in conference panels and Dr.
Dunn made a presentation on
the accomplishments of the
CI at WMU.
10. 20Milan Conference
9. 16 CI Team Building in Saugatuck!
President John M. Dunn,
Dr. T imothy L igh t and
42 Confucius Institute at WMU
The CI at WMU facilitated a visit by a group of professors and students from the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts in Beijing from October 9-16. The
group visited the WMU Theatre Department with translation and transportation support provided by the CI at WMU, as well as with employees and units
within the Diether H. Haenicke Institute for Global Education. The group also held a Chinese Opera presentation/performance at Portage Northern High School
on October 12 and joined the CI at WMU for a banquet.
10. 9 - 16 National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts Visit WMU
43Confucius Institute at WMU
Timeline of highlights
The Confucius Classroom Opening Ceremony was held at Portage Central High School, which
marked the approval of four Confucius Classrooms to be established at Amberly and Lake
Center Elementary schools and Portage Central and Northern High Schools. Among those
in attendance were Chen Weijia of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China
in Chicago, WMU President John M. Dunn, WMU Provost Tim Greene, Dr. Donald McCloud,
Dr. Jiwei Fu and Portage Public Schools Superintendent Ric Perry.
10. 25 Confucius Classroom Opening Ceremony
2011
44 Confucius Institute at WMU4444
45Confucius Institute at WMU
Timeline of highlights
The CI at WMU hosted three events to showcase
and demonstrate Chinese culture for International
Education Week at WMU: A China Quiz Bowl, Tai Chi
Hour, and a Window to China culture presentation.
11.14
11. 15
International Education Week
BLCU Professors Visit
BLCU Professors Cheng Juan and Shi Jiawei
visited the CI at WMU to give a presentation on
teaching methods to CI teachers and volunteers.
12. 16 6th Annual Confucius Institute Conference
2011
WMU Provost Tim Greene, Dr. Jiwei Fu and Samer Shammas, Operations Manager, Sr. for the
Haenicke Institute, traveled to Beijing to attend the 6th Annual Confucius Institute Conference.
46 Confucius Institute at WMU
1. 12 Airport GoodbyeAmberly Elementary school students traveled to
the Kalamazoo airport to bid farewell to CI at WMU
instructors Han Han and Jinwei Peng as they
departed for China. WMU Provost Tim Greene,
Dr. Donald McCloud, PPS Superintendent Ric
Perry and other Confucius Institute and Portage
Public School staff were also in attendance for this
heartwarming sendoff.
2012
47Confucius Institute at WMU
Timeline of highlights
1. 19 Campus Chinese New Year Celebration
The CI at WMU and the WMU Chinese language program co-hosted a Chinese New Year
celebration for the campus and community in WMU’s Sprau Tower. Participants celebrated the
holiday by watching an informational video, playing Chinese games, and enjoying snacks and
performances.
2012
48 Confucius Institute at WMU
1. 31 Jilin University Troupe Performance A Confucius Institute troupe from Jilin University performed Chinese
traditional dances and music at Portage West Middle School for a
group of 230 7th grade students and their teachers.
49Confucius Institute at WMU
Timeline of highlights
2012
The CI at WMU and the WMU Chinese language program co-hosted
the 13th Annual Chinese Speaking Contest at Western Michigan
University.
3. 22
2. 5
Speaking ContestThe CI at WMU hosted a farewell dinner at the Park Club for
five volunteer instructors who had finished their assignments
and were returning to China.
An open house was hosted at
Portage West Middle School,
where second graders from
Lake Center and Amber ly
Elementary schools showcased
their Chinese language skills.
Students and their families
enjoyed a Chinese dinner after
the performances.
5. 10 Open House for Portage Elementary Students
6. 12 Farewell Banquet
50 Confucius Institute at WMU
CI at WMU teachers and staff attended the 2012 Textbook Training Workshop
held at the Confucius Institute at Michigan State University. Teachers from
both CI’s exchanged ideas and discussed teaching strategies.
6. 28 Textbook Training Workshop
The Educational Exchange in China 2012 included four teachers from Portage Public Schools and the CI at WMU Coordinator Christina Paruch. Participants
spent one week in Beijing at BLCU studying Chinese language and culture, then traveled south to Shaoxing, Hangzhou and Shanghai for the second week.
7. 5-17 Educational Exchange in China
51Confucius Institute at WMU
Timeline of highlights
The Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs (MCAA) was held at WMU. A CI at
WMU informational computer kiosk was on display in the reception lobby of
the conference. The CI at WMU also hosted a conference panel titled, “Lessons
Learned from Implementation and Initial Research Results.” Presenters were Dr.
Donald McCloud, Dr. Jiwei Fu, Kimberly Ritter and Maran Subramanian.
CI at WMU teachers attended a day-long Asia Festival at Inland Lakes Schools
in Indian River, Michigan, where they demonstrated paper cutting, calligraphy,
Chinese games and culture. More than 80 7th and 8th grades students were
in attendance.
9. 21 10. 18Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs Asia Festival at Inland Lakes Schools
2012
A farewell banquet was held for Confucius Institute Associate Director Dr. Jiwei Fu,
celebrating three years of dedication to the CI at WMU.
9. 23 Farewell Dr. Fu
52 Confucius Institute at WMU
53Confucius Institute at WMU
Timeline of highlights
2013
A Chinese New Year celebration for campus and the community that
included Chinese dumplings, a presentation on the Chinese New
Year, and famous Chinese card games was hosted by the CI at WMU.
2. 8
4. 11
Campus Chinese New Year Celebration
Paper Cutting Workshop
The first Confucius Institute Paper Cutting
Workshop was held at WMU.
A Summer Festival was hosted at WMU that
included painting Chinese opera masks, an
introduction to Chinese music, games, and more.
6. 20 Summer Festival
54 Confucius Institute at WMU
Portage Public Schools 2nd grade Chinese language
students and their families went on a day trip to
Chicago’s Chinatown as part of the CI at WMU summer
camp. Families enjoyed a tour of Chinatown, a Chinese
lunch, a Chinese kite-making activity, and free time to
explore the numerous bakeries, grocery stores and gift
shops.
6. 25
10. 21, 11.18
Chicago China Town Trip
Held a class observation day in Portage and Kalamazoo. CI at
WMU Grand Rapids teachers traveled to Kalamazoo to observe
CI colleagues in their classrooms. In the evening, the CI team
visited Harvest Moon Acres, a fall night tradition, where the group
participated in team-building activities. November 18: CI at WMU
Kalamazoo and Portage teachers traveled to Grand Rapids to
observe CI colleagues in their classrooms. In the evening, the CI
team enjoyed a banquet together.
4. 10 Observation Day
55Confucius Institute at WMU
Timeline of highlights
2014
The Chinese New Year Gala at WMU featured traditional
food, staged performances, hands-on activities and games,
which helped campus and community members learn more
about the holiday and how it is traditionally celebrated.
The CI at WMU participated in the International
Culture Festival held at Moorsbridge Elementary
School in Portage.
1. 29 Chinese New Year Gala
3. 21International Culture Festival
The CI at WMU provided culture information and
demonstrations at the Shamrock Montessori
Kindergarten International Festival.
5. 31Shamrock Montessori Festival
56 Confucius Institute at WMU
Over 90 Forest Hills Public Schools and Greenville Public
Schools students and parents attended the Chicago
Chinatown bus day trip. The trip included a tour of
Chinatown, lunch, a tai chi demonstration and free time.
8. 23 Chicago Chinatown Trip
57Confucius Institute at WMU
Timeline of highlights
2014
CI at WMU staff participated in the Capitol City Dragon Boat Race
in Lansing, Michigan, where they raced against teams from other
universities and businesses.
9. 14
2. 5
Capitol City Dragon Boat Race
The first China Moon Festival was held at WMU, which attracted more than
800 people. The CI at WMU cosponsored the event, providing performances, a
cultural table and technical support. 9. 27 China Festival at WMU
58 Confucius Institute at WMU
The CI at WMU hosted a workshop series on Chinese knots, paper cutting and
Chinese calligraphy that attracted more than 30 participants.
Fall Chinese Culture Workshops
59Confucius Institute at WMU
Timeline of highlights
A p p e n d i x
Complete list of cosponsored lectures
CI at WMU administration, teachers and staff 2009 to 2014
October 11, 2010
Opening Ceremony for the Timothy Light Center for Chinese Studies
Guest lecturer—Dr. Stephen Mackinnon, Arizona State University, presented a talk titled, “Impact of World War II on China: A Reevaluation.”
April 12-13, 2012
Lecture and lunch presentation—Dr. William Baxter, Associate Professor of Linguistics and Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan,
presented a talk on early Chinese language titled, “What was the Early Chinese Language Like?”
October 11, 2012
Lecture and lunch presentation—Dr. Albert Dien, Stanford University, presented a talk titled, “The Origin Myth of the Xianbei: The Significance of the
Gaxiandong Cave.” Dr. Dien’s visit was cosponsored by WMU’s Department of History.
January 31, 2013
Lecture and lunch presentation—Dr. Ling Wei, Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Cornell University and Professor of at China Foreign Affairs University,
presented a talk titled, “Rebalancing or Debalancing: The U.S. Strategies and New Asian Order.”
February 21, 2013
Lecture and lunch presentation—Dr. Clara Ho, Professor of History at Hong Kong Baptist University and Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Northeastern
University, presented a talk titled, “Were Chinese Women Interested in History? Evidences from their Works in the Ming-Qing Period.” Cosponsored by
the WMU Department of Gender and Women’s Studies.
March 21, 2013
Lecture—Lei Pan, the School of Foreign Languages in Central China Normal University, presented a talk titled, “Second Language Education and
Applications in America and China,” in collaboration with WMU’s Department of World Languages and Literatures.
62 Appendix
September 17, 2013
Lecture—Dr. Shuming Zhao, President of the International Association of Chinese Management Research and Jiangsu Provincial Association of Human
Resource Management, presented a talk titled, “Human Resource Management in China Under the Transition Economy.” His lecture was cosponsored
by the Haworth College of Business and its Global Business Center.
October 23, 2013
Lecture—Dr. Yuan-Kang Wang, Associate Professor, WMU Department of Sociology, presented a talk titled, “Managing Hegemony in East Asia: China’s
Rise in Historical Perspective.”
November 7, 2013
Lecture and lunch presentation—Dr. Paul Copp, Associate Professor of Chinese Religion and Thought, University of Chicago, presented a talk titled,
“Magical and Religious Seals and the Sources of Chinese Buddhism.”
November 21, 2013
Lecture and lunch presentation—Dr. Tse-Kang Leng, Research Fellow, Institute of Political Science of Academia Sinica and Professor of Political Science
at National Chengchi University, presented a talk titled, “Taiwan and China in a World of Globalization.”
March 27, 2014
Lecture and lunch presentation—Dr. Yukun Hu of Peking University presented a talk titled, “Rural Women’s Employment and the Chinese State:
60 Years of Changes.”
April 3, 2014
Lecture and lunch presentation—Dr. Tien-hui Chiang, National University of Tainan, presented a talk titled, “Globalization, Chinese Culture and the
Expansion of Higher Education System in Taiwan.”
63Appendix
CI at WMU Administrative and Operational Staff 2009-2014:
Administrative Staff
2013-2014
• DonaldMcCloud,Director
• HaitaoYu,AssociateDirector
• KimberlyRitter,AssistantDirectorforSchoolOutreach
• ChristinaParuch,ChineseProgramsCoordinator
2012-2013
• DonaldMcCloud,Director
• ShengangWang,ActingAssociateDirector
• KimberlyRitter,AssistantDirectorforSchoolOutreach
• ChristinaParuch,ChineseProgramsCoordinator
2011-2012
• DonaldMcCloud,Director
• JiweiFu,AssociateDirector
• KimberlyRitter,AssistantDirectorforSchoolOutreach
• ChristinaParuch,ChineseProgramsCoordinator
64 Appendix
2010-2011
• XiaojunWang,Director
• JiweiFu,AssociateDirector
• KimberlyRitter,AssistantDirectorforSchoolOutreach
• ChristinaParuch,AssistantforInternationalCentersandInstitutes
2009-2010
• XiaojunWang,Director
• JiweiFu,AssociateDirector
• KimberlyRitter,AssistantDirectorforSchoolOutreach
• NicholasDiFranco(Summer2010),AssistantforInternationalCentersandInstitutes
• JaimeLeBlanc-Hadley(Fall2009–Spring2010),AssistantforInternationalCentersandInstitutes
Operational Staff
2013-2014
• SamerShammas,ManagerofOperations
• LinjiaJiang,WebsiteManager
• MaranSubramain,GraduateResearchCoordinator
• HuamingWang,WMUStudentPaintingInstructor(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
65Appendix
2012-2013
• SamerShammas,ManagerofOperations
• LinjiaJiang,WebsiteManager
• YuZhang,CultureClassIntern
• ZhiminMa,ConfuciusInstituteIntern
• MaranSubramain,GraduateResearchCoordinator
• ThaleaStokes,GraduateResearchAssistant
• HuamingWang,WMUStudentPaintingInstructor(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
2011-2012
• BillWoods,ManagerofOperations
• LinjiaJiang,WebsiteManager
• ThaleaDavis,CultureClassIntern
• MaranSubramain,GraduateResearchCoordinator
• RanShi,GraduateResearchAssistant
• HuamingWang,WMUStudentPaintingInstructor(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
2010-2011
• BillWoods,ManagerofOperations
• LinjiaJiang,WebsiteManager
• ThaleaDavis,CultureClassIntern
• MaranSubramain,GraduateResearchCoordinator
• RanShi,GraduateResearchAssistant
• HuamingWang,WMUStudentPaintingInstructor(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
66 Appendix
2009-2010
• SamerShammas,ManagerofOperations
• LinjiaJiang,WebsiteManager
• ThaleaDavisandKearaHopkins,CultureClassInterns(Summer2010)
• HuamingWang,WMUStudentPaintingInstructor(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
Visiting Instructors and Volunteer Teachers
2013-2014
• AjunHe,Instructor(WMUChineseLanguageProgram)
• LiLiu,Instructor(ForestHillsPublicSchoolsEasternandNorthernHighSchool)
• ShengangWang,Instructor(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
• QiongWang,Instructor(ForestHillsHighSchools)
• ChenxingFang,VolunteerTeacher(ForestHillsMeadowBrookElementarySchool)
• ZheFeng,VolunteerTeacher(MontessoriSchoolofKalamazoo)
• LinLi,VolunteerTeacher(ForestHillsMeadowBrookElementarySchool)
• BinMiao,VolunteerTeacher(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
• LiWang,VolunteerTeacher(ForestHillsMeadowBrookElementaryandNorthernTrails)
• HuaXiao,VolunteerTeacher(ForestHillsMeadowBrookElementarySchool)
• RuyuanYang,VolunteerTeacher(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
• JunZeng,VolunteerTeacher(PortageNorthernandPortageCentralHighSchools)
• LinZhang,VolunteerTeacher(PortageAmberlyandLakeCenterElementarySchools)
• XuZhou,VolunteerTeacher(PortageNorthernHighSchool)
• YunZhou,VolunteerTeacher(PortageAmberlyandLakeCenterElementary)
67Appendix
2012-2013
• QiongWang,Instructor(ForestHillsHighSchools)
• ShengangWang,Instructor(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
• YuanyuanCai,VolunteerTeacher(PortageLakeCenterElementarySchool)
• ShashaLiu,VolunteerTeacher(PortageAmberlyElementarySchool)
• YinLong,VolunteerTeacher(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
• JingYang,VolunteerTeacher(ForestHillsMeadowBrookElementarySchool)
• JunZeng,VolunteerTeacher(PortageNorthernandCentralHighSchools)
2011-2012
• HanHan,Instructor(PortageAmberlyElementarySchool,Fall2011)
• JinweiPeng,Instructor(PortageLakeCenterElementarySchool,Fall2011)
• YangDu,VolunteerTeacher(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
• ShaLiu,VolunteerTeacher(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses;PortagePublicSchoolsAmberlyElementarySchool,Spring2012)
• XiaojingYang,VolunteerTeacher(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
• HanZhang,VolunteerTeacher(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses;PortageNorthernHighSchool,Spring2012)
• LinaZhang,VolunteerTeacher(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses;PortageLakeCenterElementarySchool,Spring2012)
2010-2011
• HanHan,Instructor(PortageAmberlyElementarySchool)
• JinweiPeng,Instructor(PortageLakeCenterElementarySchool)
• YingjieChi,VolunteerTeacher(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
• KunMa,VolunteerTeacher(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
• XunSun,VolunteerTeacher(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
• XiaojingYang,VolunteerTeacher(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
68 Appendix
2009-2010
• HanHan,Instructor(PortageAmberlyElementarySchool)
• JinweiPeng,Instructor(PortageLakeCenterElementarySchool)
• YimingFu,VolunteerTeacher(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
• BinLiu,VolunteerTeacher(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
• XuZhang,VolunteerTeacher(ConfuciusInstituteChineseCultureClasses)
Diether H. Haenicke Institute for Global Education at WMU
The following staff provide continual and ongoing support to the program:
• BillieBlake,BudgetAssistant
• LeeRyder,ImmigrationOfficer
• TaraSeverino,ImmigrationAdvisor
• MargaretvonSteinen,CommunicationsOfficer
69Appendix
Creative Director: Linjia Jiang
Managing Editor: Christina Paruch
Editorial Director: Margaret von Steinen
2009-2014 Five Year Report
Confucius Institute at Western Michigan University
1903 W. Michigan Ave. | 2nd Floor Ellsworth Hall | Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5245
+1 (269) 387-3951 | [email protected] | wmuconfucius.org