Miami, May 13, 2015 – The (MDC) Confucius Institute at Miami Dade College(MDC) will unveil a Confucius statue in commemoration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and the 5th Anniversary of MDC’s Confucius Institute. The celebration will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at MDC Kendall Campus. It will be the first Confucius statue installed on a college campus in Florida.
Confucius (551-479 BC) is recognized as one of the greatest philosophers and educators in the world and a founding father of Chinese culture. The life-size bronze statue of Confucius was donated to MDC by The Confucian Academy in Hong Kong, a non-profit educational organization.
“Having a Confucius statue at MDC as a permanent monument to this great intellectual giant will enhance the cultural awareness of our students and add to the cultural diversity of our South Florida community,” said Confucius Institute at MDC Director Dr. Jim Yu.
The event is co-presented with MDC Kendall Campus and the Florida Shandong Fellowship Association. Co-sponsors include Asian American Advisory Board of Miami-Dade County, Chinese Cultural Foundation Inc. (Miami), Chinese Association of Science, Education & Culture of South Florida (CASEC), Florida Federation of Chinese Associations (FFOCA), and Chinese Language Teachers Association – Florida Chapter (CLTA-FL).
Special guests will include Dr. Yun-kai Tong, President of the Confucian Academy in Hong Kong, Mr. Yiqun Zhang, Director of Education at Chinese Consulate General in Houston, and Asian community leaders in South Florida.
There will be a Chinese Performing Arts Stage Show following the unveiling, which will feature more than 50 local Chinese artists and student performers presenting Chinese folk dances, singing, musical instrument performances, Tai Chi, calligraphy, and a fashion show.
Over the past five years, MDC’s Confucius institute has played a pivotal role in the college’s ability to expand its study-abroad offerings in China. Thanks to generous funding from Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters and MDC, the Institute has enabled more than 1,200 students of all socio-economic backgrounds and nationalities to take Chinese language and culture classes. Enrollment in these classes, in turn, has helped the same students benefit from all-expenses-paid transfer terms and degree-granting programs at prestigious Chinese universities.
WHAT: Confucius Institute at MDC to Unveil Confucius Statue
WHEN: Saturday May 16, 2015
2:00 – 3:15 p.m. – Commemoration Ceremony and Reception (invitation-only)
3:30 – 5:00 p.m. – Chinese Performing Arts Stage Show (FREE with RSVP)
WHERE: MDC Kendall Campus, Alfred L. McCarthy Auditorium (Room 6120)
11011 S.W. 104 St
To RSVP and f or more information, please contact Dr. Jim Yu at 305-237-7581, xyu@mdc.edu.