ACCRA — The Confucius institute has made great strides since its establishment at the University of Ghana, Legon, some two years ago, spreading Chinese language and culture to Ghanaians from all walks of life.

Being the first of its kind in Ghana, the Institute has been working hard to fulfill obligations set by its headquarter - mainly to teach Chinese language proficiency, train Chinese language instructors and provide language resources and conduct language and cultural exchange activities between China and other countries.

It has set up one Chinese Center, four teaching sites, and more than 1,800 students have been receiving Chinese language proficiency and culture instruction.

The institute has also established the first and only HSK centre in Ghana for international standardized Chinese examinations to help Ghanaians to gain Chinese scholarships and study in China.

Ignatius Suglo was trained by the institute to contest in the worldwide Chinese Bridge competition and was rated as second in Africa and among the top ten globally.

Suglo has attained full-time Confucius Institute scholarship and is currently undertaking his Master of Arts degree in Beijing Language and Culture University in China.

In Ghana, the Confucius Institute has also held many cultural functions such as Chinese Tea Festival to promote Chinese language and culture in its two years of existence.

At the University of Ghana Basic School, where one of the teaching sites is located, the Confucius Institute offers Chinese classes which have become part of the school’s curriculum - a great step to promoting Chinese teaching in Ghana.

“We learn about the Chinese culture and ask pertinent questions which go a long way to help in our learning of Chinese and an eye-opener to what pertains in other cultures,” Erina Armah, a pupil of the school, said at the 2015 Confucius Institute Day ceremony in Accra.

The Director of the Confucius Institute, Dr Meilian Mei, said in future the Institute would continue to work hard to carry out the duties set by its headquarters by making Chinese classes and cultural programs available to more Ghanaians, helping them to attain more of its and other Chinese government scholarships.

It would also organize more Ghanaians, especially teachers and students teaching and learning Chinese, to visit China, she said.

Most schoolchildren at the three basic schools which serve as teaching sites have on a number of occasions displayed their achievements in their studies and expressed their love for China, Chinese language and culture by means of their excellent performance.