Cork & UCC celebrate the Chinese Year of the Tiger
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Cork & UCC celebrate the Chinese Year of the Tiger
16.02.2010

2010 is the Year of the Tiger according to Chinese tradition and to usher in the New Year, “Peacock and Swan” the Chinese New Year celebration in Cork will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, February 17th at 6pm in the City Hall, Cork.

The event is being jointly organised by Cork City Council, UCC’s International Education Office, Chinese Students’ Union, School of Asian Studies and Confucius Institute, in close co-operation with Shanghai University.  The highlight of the evening will be a performance by artists of the “Peacock & Swan” from Shanghai University.  The event will also include the launch of the Chinese version of UCC's Strategic Plan by the President of the University, Dr Michael Murphy. Admission to the event is free and all are very welcome to attend.

A feast of Chinese dance and music as well as a unique opportunity to learn Chinese Folk Dance await all those who attend!  The performance will include dancing, an instrumental ensemble and a number of traditional songs.  One song in particular  ‘Sending Me a Rose’ is one of the most popular folk songs in China.

Since 2005 Cork has been twinned with Shanghai, providing a framework to promote co-operation between the two cities. This is building on initial links established between the two cities, which in turn were pioneered by University College Cork and several universities in Shanghai.

The UCC Confucius Institute was established in November 2007 in a collaboration between UCC and Shanghai University.  Shanghai University has provided staff members and volunteers to work in the UCC Confucius Institute since 2008.  One of the aims of the Institute is to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of Shanghai and Cork.

UCC has become Ireland’s leading university in terms of its engagement with China. Its student recruitment campaign, driven by the International Education Office, ensures that UCC draws a growing number of Chinese students to its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. A large number of the Chinese student cohort are made up of students from UCC's institutional partners in China, including Beijing Technology and Business University, Guilin University of Electronic Technology and Henan University of Finance and Economics.

This inward movement of Chinese students is complemented by the growing interest in Chinese Studies on the part of Irish students. There are approximately 165 Irish and European students studying for a BA in Chinese Studies; BComm (International) with Chinese Studies; HDip and MA in Contemporary Chinese Culture and Business; MPhil/PhD in Chinese Studies as well as some Chinese language courses at UCC.

While Chinese students studying at UCC are far from home, for Chinese New Year they feel connected to China by the events that have been organised for them.

Chen Pei Yu, a student from Shanghai currently studying law at UCC has no reason to feel lonely! Friends both Chinese and Irish enjoyed a traditional Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner at the weekend.  In addition, the “celebrations taking place in Cork mean a lot to us - everyone, Chinese and Irish alike all celebrate this day and it certainly makes it more enjoyable and we feel a little closer to home.  People born in the Year of the Tiger are very lucky and courageous as well as being dynamic, intelligent and optimistic” said Chen Pei Yu.

Picture:  Hu Jun, who will perform on Wednesday, February 17th 2010 at the City Hall, Cork.

1323MMcS 

 



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