Since it's inauguration in 2009 the Confucius Institute has worked together with a number of different partner schools and with the Municipality of Aalborg.


In order to get a picture of how our partners have experienced their cooperation with the Confucius Institute, we have uploaded a few references. Please click here. (only in Danish).

Confucius Institute for Innovation and Learning at Aalborg University has just received an Annual CI World Prize 2011 by the Chinese Ministry of Education. This prize was awarded to the top 10 out of 350 Confucius Institutes and 500 Confucius Classrooms worldwide, and this is the first time for a North European Institute to receive this award.

Xiangyun Du, director of Confucius Institute for Innovation and Learning at Aalborg University and project manager Thorsten Haensel was therefore traveled to Beijing. Director Du received the award at a grand ceremony in connection with the annual CI conference, where 3,000 people from all over the world participated.

CI’s project manager Thorsten Haensel has no doubts about the success for CI AAU to get the award:

“The leaders in Beijing are aware of our research-based approach for learning that is unique compared to other institutions. Meanwhile, our attempts to promote Chinese language and culture among the North Jutland primary and secondary education has attracted great attention. We organize China-week in North Jutland schools, where we involve the children in education through tennis, cooking, Tai Chi, etc. This means that we have made a quick progress since the start from 2009”, he explains.Confucius Institute director Xiangyun Du received honorary prize

On 22 November 2011, the Confucius Institute at Aalborg University held a workshop about Chinese teaching materials 2012 in the Confucius Institute Learning Center. This workshop focused on the use of teaching materials in middle and primary school-level Chinese teaching in the context of Denmark. People attending the workshop counted CI staffs as well as Chinese who are experienced and interested in Chinese-language teaching.

In the workshop, CI’s Chinese Language Lecturer, Bao Rui introduced the teaching material set called “Kaile Hanyu” and shared her experiences of using this to teach Chinese in Danish local schools. Under the discussions of the workshop lead by Assistant Professor Mads Jakob Kirkebæk, the Chinese teachers shared their teaching experience and gave a lot of insightful ideas for future Chinese teaching strategies.Xiangyun Du, Director of CI, is presenting the teaching material “Kaile Hanyu”Chinese Language Lecturer, Bao Rui shared about her experiences in teaching Chinese in Danish schooldiscussion between participantsGroup photo for the workshop

On 10th November, 2011, CI staff at the Confucius Institute took part in the workshop of The International Dimension of Teaching.

The director of the Confucius Institute and associate professor of Aalborg University, Xiangyun Du and Director Assistant Niels Erik Lyngdorf gave the lectures in the workshop, with the title of “West meeting East- how can CI bridge international collaborations? ” This was followed by good discussions about the major challenges in the international and intercultural collaborations and the solution for them.

Some schools show their strong interest in cooperating with CI for better international collaborations, and a numbers of them will start Chinese classes next year.Xiangyun and Niels gave the lecture of CI-AAUCI staff are distributing Chinese textbook of Kuaile Hanyu as gifts to participants.

The Confucius Institute at Aalborg University arranged a trip to Beijing for 26 school leaders from all over North Denmark. It lasted 10 days from the 6th of October to the 16th of October. The aim of the trip was to let the school leaders learn more about China, experience the Chinese school system and possibly find a friendship school to start an exchange program.

The trip was a great success. All the school leaders showed great interest in China. The planned program gave them cultural experiences as the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the National Museum. They also visited several local schools where they got the opportunity to talk with pupils, teachers and school leaders. They also attended different classes such as Chinese class, art class, music class and English class. These visits inspired the Danish school leaders in many ways. Especially the Chinese school system’s big attention to the physical well being of the students made a big impression.

Besides the many school visits the school leaders also attended meetings with other Chinese school leaders and lectures about the Chinese society. In this way they attained a lot of information about the Chinese school system, which they can use in future collaboration with partner schools and the CI.

The 23rd of November the group of school leaders and the CI will meet again for a follow-up meeting.CI staff and the delegation participants visit the Forbidden CityRoundtable discussion between Danish school leadersChinese students having morning gymnastics Danish school leaders observe classroom setting and students' life

This semesters Chinese experience class at Folkeuniversitetet started on September 28 with CI's Bao Rui taking care of teaching.

At record of 21 people signed up for the class. Based on the recent success the Confucius Institute and Folkeuniversitetet will offer a new class next spring. Please check out www.fuaalborg.dk for more information.

The Confucius Institute Aalborg has had great success with giving schools in the North Denmark Region a chance of bringing Chinese language and culture into their curriculum this semester.

While our primary and secondary teaching last semester was limited to one China Week at Gug Skole and some other minor activities, this semester - due to the great reputation that the China Week earned - we have seen great interest from other schools in the region to our Chinese teaching.

Currently the CI is teaching at Aalborg Handelsskole, Skovgaardsskolen, Klostermarksskolen, Gug Skole, Vestbjerg Skole and Gandrup Skole. Furthermore, we have had single-day activities at Vester Hassing Skole, Mentiqa School for Gifted Children and Hals Skole.

We are very happy with the attention our teaching has got in the last few month and hope to continue the great cooperation with our current and future partners. If your school should have any interest, please send a mail to thaensel[a]learning.aau.dk

Two teachers from the Confucius Institute taught Chinese language and culture to two large groups of children in Vester Hassin Skole, just north of Aalborg. The children were five to eight years old, and children of that age naturally need a different teaching approach than children from 7th grade and up, which the CI teachers normally work with. For instance CI teacher Wang Xin had made up a Chinese children's song that was easy for the children to memorize while at the same time presented everyone to the basic Chinese greetings.

The Confucius Institute is excited to have opportunities to give classes in Chinese language and culture not only to teenage children but already at a much earlier state. For years studies have shown that pupils in the smaller classes both are eager and able to learn foreign languages.CI teacher Wang Xin with toddlers from Vester Hassing Skole

During week 38 in September, CI teacher Ruan Youjin visited Hals Skole not far from Aalborg to conduct one week of Chinese language and culture teaching. The China week was part of a international week at the local school, which aim is to heighten the students awareness of foreign cultures to prepare them for a globalised world.

The China Week program that is offered by the Confucius Institute Aalborg to Folkeschools in the North Denmark region aims at exactly doing this: To give Danish pupils a glimpse of what Chinese culture is about and further spark their interest. Due to the last decades of economic development in China, the country is bound to play and important role in the future. For Danish school children being familiar with Chinas language and culture will be of great advantage later on in their life.Children at Hals Skole learn to make a Chinese lantern

In September 2011 a class from a local school project name Unge Coach (Youth Coach) visited Confucius Institute’s learning center in down town Aalborg. Unge Coach is project that helps young people who find it difficult to motivate themselves during classes or lost any interest in school work, by arranging a special 12 week course which is designed to help the participants back on track. Pupils in 7th to 9th grade attending schools in Aalborg can apply for a spot at Unge Coach, and only those who show enough motivation to better themselves are allowed to take part in the project.

The Confucius Institute was asked to design a 2 hour course for Unge Coach in order to give the participating pupils a glimpse of a culture and language that is unknown and exciting to them. CI teacher Ruan Youjin used different teaching methods in order to sparks the pupils interest, i.e. a Chinese tea ceremony and Chinese calligraphy.

For the pupils from Unge Coach the visit at the CI learning center was exciting and something out of the ordinary. The Confucius Institute is interested in supporting innovative learning approaches and the Unge Coach project is a very welcomed method in helping young children back on track in their school life.Pupils from "Unge Coach" show their caligraphy works