Jointly organised by the Confucius Institute at SEGi University Malaysia and Shandong Provincial Department of Culture & Tourism, China

Kota Damansara – In light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese New Year, or also known as the Spring Festival, is celebrated differently this year. The Confucius Institute at SEGi University together with Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, China organised an online Chinese New Year event themed "Confucius’ Hometown, Shandong’s Hospitality" to keep the festive spirit alive.

Held on 8 and 9 February 2021, the event which saw close the attendance of almost 200 people aimed to shed light on the culture and hospitality from Confucius’ hometown, the Shandong Province in China. Confucius was a notable Chinese philosopher who is known to champion the importance of education. He also established ethical, moral, and social standards that formed the basis of a way of life known as Confucianism.

Mr. Zhang Zhen, Cultural Counsellor at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Malaysia expressed his enthusiasm and encouraged the active participation of cultural exchange between China and Malaysia.

Present at the event was Mr. Zhang Zhen, Cultural Counsellor at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Malaysia; Mr. Norman Chu, Deputy Vice Chancellor at SEGi University; and Dr. Lydia Foong, Local Director of Confucius Institute and Dean for the Faculty of Education, Languages and Psychology at SEGi University; and Dr. An Fu Yong, Chinese director of Confucius Institute at SEGi University.

In his speech, Mr Zhang expressed his enthusiasm and encouraged the active participation of cultural exchange between China and Malaysia.

“SEGi University is very pleased to support the Confucius Institute efforts in promoting cultural exchange between Malaysia and China. The Chinese New Year celebration is a good platform to bring people together for this purpose. Although we cannot physically celebrate Chinese New Year together this year, I am very happy to see that the festive spirit is kept alive with online activities such as this event,” said Mr. Norman Chu, Deputy Vice Chancellor at SEGi University.

In line with the theme "Confucius’ Hometown, Shandong’s Hospitality", the event started off with a presentation on the Chinese New Year customs in Shandong by Dr. An Fu Yong, Chinese director of Confucius Institute at SEGi University. Following this, Miss Zheng Chuqiu, lecturer at Confucius Institute showcased Shandong's culture, food, and attractions to the participants. To make it more interactive for the participants, Miss Zheng further showcased the unique charm of Qilu culture via a video.

The Confucius Institute also invited a famous calligrapher, Mr. Huang Chengli from Hainan Normal University to demonstrate and to give a short tutorial on writing customary Chinese couplets related to the Spring Festivals. The calligraphy activity saw many participants eagerly trying out their skills.  The Malaysian and Chinese children and teenagers exchanged passionately their new year customs in the Q&A session, which deepened the intercultural understanding.

About the Confucius Institute at SEGi University

The Confucius Institute at SEGi University was founded on July 2014 by the Chinese Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters. The Institute is a collaborative effort between Hainan Normal University in China and SEGi University in Malaysia Officially launched on November 2015, it is one of 548 Confucius Institute around the world.

Excited participant trying their hand at calligraphy

The Confucius Institute at SEGi University aims to enhance the understanding of Chinese culture among Malaysians by providing a platform for the local community to learn the Chinese language and customs. The institute is also working towards strengthening the educational exchanges and cooperation between China and Malaysia.

About SEGi University & Colleges

First established in 1977, SEGi University & Colleges has undergone tremendous growth to meet the demands for tertiary and professional education.

Children from both China and Malaysia showcasing their calligraphy creations

With a population of 20,000 local and international students, SEGi stands as one of the most established private higher education institutions in Malaysia. Today, SEGi stands proud of its flagship campus in Kota Damansara and four other campuses in Subang Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Kuching.

As a higher education institution, SEGi University and Group of Colleges have provided affordable quality global education to school leavers and working adults in the fields of Accounting, Finance and Business Management, Medicine, Dentistry, Optometry, Pharmacy, Allied Health Sciences, Engineering, Information Technology, Creative Design, Communications, Hospitality & Tourism Management, and Early Childhood.

In line with the Industrial Revolution 4.0, SEGi University & Colleges is committed to adopting a global benchmark in grooming highly skilled students and academics via world-class curricula, prominent industry linkages, futuristic facilities and high-value engagements that create future-proof talents who will continuously evolve and raise the nation to the next level.

Since its establishment over four decades ago, SEGi is proud to acknowledge that it has produced over 130,000 alumni all around the world who are now professional leaders in their respective fields.