At the end of the first term, the Confucius Institute bid a fond farewell to a very special lecturer, Ms Li Zang, or Lily, who worked for four years in the Chinese Section of the School of Languages and Literatures. Ms Zang joined Rhodes University in 2017 after completing her Master’s degree at Jinan University in Guangzhou (China). She hoped to experience a different culture and share her love for the Chinese language and culture with students in Africa.
During her time, Ms Zang adopted multiple roles and responsibilities to help the Confucius Institute grow and attract more students. In 2019 she took on a more administrative role; while this was an additional workload, she worked diligently and contributed significantly to the improvement of Chinese Studies’ programme. Under the constraints of the Covid-19 pandemic and online learning, Ms Zang felt very motivated to ensure that her students participate fully and engage with the content even under their difficult circumstances. These efforts were highly appreciated and show further proof of her dedication as a lecturer.
Ms Zang fostered great working relationships with her students, as well as staff at the School of Languages and Literatures, and within the Confucius Institute. The Head of the School, Prof Undine Weber, said the following: “Ms Zang has been an incredibly hard worker and has proudly and successfully promoted Chinese language and culture, often going after hours; her students have benefitted from her skilful instruction, and she has inspired them to do as she does – give their best!” Ms Zang spoke very fondly of Rhodes University and Makhanda, saying that she would miss the friendly people and character of this little town!
While her absence has been felt and her presence will be missed, we wish Ms Zang well in her future endeavours. The Director of the Confucius Institute, Prof Patrice Mwepu, had a few words to share; “We will all miss your inspiration and professionalism; we will all miss your friendship and good heart”. We say: “Thank you very much for everything! We wish you all the best for the rest of your life!” By Sacrée Kabeya
