The University’s Confucius Institute is finding creative ways to make people aware of Chinese culture as it relates to our modern world.
The Confucius Institute is presenting a range of cultural experiences through which students can experience Chinese culture firsthand, from the Chinese opera last week to an on-going exhibit in the Jordan Schnitzer Museumof Art.
Bryna Goodman, the executive director of the Confucius Institute, said that one of the purposes of the Institute is “to gain a better insight into how China is perceived by the outside world and its impact on Western media.”On Wednesday evening, Goodman chose to show a film entitled “24 City” by director Jia Zhangke. As with the rest of the events that occurred during the week, she said she wanted them “to be works that are not readily available or known to the public, but still be revealing of the culture and interesting to watch.”
“24 City” consists of many interviews with actual workers or actors portraying workers, from a factory nicknamed “Factory 420.” It is set in a modern period that requires the workers to recall what happened to them in the factory more than 50 years ago.
Zhangke depicts the forgotten low class of Chinese workers; they recount the difficult tasks they had to perform at their factory jobs, how little they were compensated for their work and many other hardships they had to endure. However, the audience sees that determination among the workers remains strong.
During one interview, a young woman proudly says “I am the daughter of a worker.” This fighting spirit is a component of the drive to succeed and create a better life that exists in lower class communities. University Chinese literature graduate student Kyle Shernuk enjoyed the film for its human portrayal. “(Chinese culture in the media) focuses much on the elite,” Shernuk said. “I think it is interesting to see an alternative perspective focusing on working Chinese communities.”
Meanwhile, Marjolijn Kaiser, another Chinese literature graduate student, said she loved watching Chinese footage and found “24 City” particularly interesting. She said she was interested in “the usage of documentary imagery and fiction together to present a real image of a different culture.”
Goodman says that one of the Confucius Institute’s many aims is to educate others about how China’s influence is not limited to mainland China, but to the rest of the world. China is embedded in American history, but has an increasing role in modern business and the burgeoning field of sustainability. More professions than ever are being moved to China as it is the forefront to fields of work concerning the sciences.
The Confucius Institute, Goodman hopes, will soon link science related fields, like applied chemistry and computer and information
sciences to the study of Chinese culture. This way, the Institute can help educate students who find themselves being led to China by their field of study to get a better understanding of the people and culture before they start working.
Even if students may not be searching for a career that leads them to China, they still feel the global impact of China right here on campus. Goodman said that the University’s largest international group is Chinese students.
“We need to develop a basis for connection with people of different backgrounds, which is essential if we are to live in a diverse community,” Goodman said.
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Confucius Institute aims to educate students on Chinese culture
Daily Emerald
October 6, 2010
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