Mandarin learning a gateway for Pacific islands' youths

In the South Pacific island country of Vanuatu, learning Chinese has opened the door for Alice Joseph, 23, to pursue her dream of becoming a medical doctor.

Joseph, who has studied Chinese for about a year at the Confucius Classroom on the Emalus Campus of the University of the South Pacific, or USP, will begin her studies in clinical medicine at the Zhengzhou University in Henan province by the end of August.

A year ago, Joseph won first place in the Chinese Bridge language competition held in Vanuatu. For the preliminary round, she went to China, which she described as an eyeopening experience and motivated her to apply for the Chinese Government Scholarship to study in China.

Joseph said she first started learning Chinese as a hobby, but it turned into an opportunity for her education.

Joseph said she wanted to study medicine but had no opportunity in Vanuatu. "I am so fortunate to have the Chinese Government Scholarship to help me fulfill my dreams," she said.

Confucius Institutes are nonprofit educational institutions that aim to promote Chinese language and facilitate cultural exchanges.

Headquartered in Suva, Fiji, the Confucius Institute at USP, the first of its kind in the whole Pacific islands region, became fully operational in 2012.

Due to the high demand for Chinese language learning, the institute later set up classrooms in USP's Lautoka Campus in western Fiji, the Emalus Campus in Vanuatu, and the Cook Islands Campus.

Since the classroom was established in Vanuatu in 2015, the number of students has kept rising, reaching over 1,000 so far, according to Qiao Yaxiao, a teacher in the Confucius Classroom at the Emalus Campus.

"Most students come to us because they want to know more about China," Qiao said. "Many of them are interested in Chinese music, food, and TV dramas. Some even use Chinese social media platforms."

That was the case with Tupou Goulton, 23, a USP student from Tonga who began her Chinese courses at the Confucius Classroom in Vanuatu.

"I have always been very curious about China," said Goulton. "For us in small countries like Tonga, it is a very exotic place."

As a student who majored in law and history, she is interested in Chinese history and hopes to visit the Palace Museum in Beijing someday.

Preparing for future

After being trained in the local Chinese courses, many students travel to China to continue their studies and return to Vanuatu to work in local government agencies or foreign-related sectors, according to Qiao, the Chinese teacher.

Qiao said the institute is working to expand Chinese language education with vocational training.

"In our headquarters in Fiji, we already have a course that combines Chinese language with hotel management," Qiao said.

Noting there is also an increasing number of Chinese companies in Vanuatu, Qiao said courses can also be customized to meet local demands.

"Over the past few years, over 100 Vanuatu students have gone on to study in China," said Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu Li Minggang.

Every year, China provides opportunities for a number of Vanuatu nationals to visit China to receive short-term training, Li said.

With the knowledge gained in China, Li said, these students have used their skills to make contributions to the local infrastructure, education and healthcare sectors.

kelly@chinadailyapac.com