Director's Welcome Message

Dr Koh Hock Kiat

Confucius Institute, Nanyang Technological University (CI-NTU) is jointly established by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). It is the first Chinese language and culture school in Singapore co-sponsored by the Chinese central government.

Inaugurated in August 2005, CI-NTU is a joint venture between the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). CI-NTU aims to strengthen Singapore's Mandarin capabilities, providing Singapore with a common platform in learning Chinese language and culture, and enhancing the communication link between Singapore and Chinese communities in other parts of the world.

Our vision is to be a world class Confucius Institute. We strive to provide South East Asia with authoritative teaching resources in the Chinese language through our rigorous review and research efforts. We hope to contribute to the long-term development of the Chinese culture with richness and diversity.

Over the past year, with the enormous help from Hanban and the College of International Education at Shandong University, CI-NTU was proud to host eminent lecturers, scholars, writers and Chinese elites who gave lectures to school teachers, students, social organisations, enterprises and the public. They came with their rich experiences and insights to provide a broad-based education regarding the Chinese language and culture, thereby facilitating the holistic development of the Chinese language, culture, Chinese Studies and Business Chinese in Singapore and the region. These lectures and seminars were enthusiastically supported and attended.

CI-NTU is located next to the Ministry of Education and Biopolis within the epicenter of One North. The Institute has facilities that include spacious and well-lit lecture halls, tutorial rooms, reading rooms, resource repository and lounge areas.

The new CI-NTU premise was officially launched by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew on 14th July 2007.

In line with our opening celebration, we rolled out a series of events and courses about the Chinese language and culture, including a Confucius exhibition, an international forum on "Promoting the Chinese language and culture in the age of globalization", and the launch of the "International Chinese Literary Award". We will continue to refine and elevate the quality of the resources for teaching Chinese in Singapore, provide the platform for academic exchange between local and Chinese scholars, and even expand our reach to Chinese communities and organisations beyond Singapore and the region.

On behalf of the Confucius Institute, I would like to express our utmost gratitude and appreciation to all our benefactors on this significant occasion".

Assoc. Prof. Koh Hock Kiat
Director (Confucius Institute, Nanyang Technological University)
Associate Professor (National Institute of Education)