BEIRUT－An increasing number of Lebanese students have become interested in learning Chinese and exploring China's culture and civilization, says Nisrine Abdel Nour Lattouf, director of the Confucius Institute at the Saint Joseph University.

"Lebanese parents are keen to let their children learn the Chinese language … for good job opportunities in the future as China is an economic superpower and attracts a lot of businesses from all over the world," Lattouf said at the sidelines of a ceremony held on March 22 at the university to celebrate the 15th anniversary of its Confucius Institute.

During the celebration, students expressed their great interest in Chinese culture by giving speeches in Chinese and performing Chinese calligraphy.

The annual enrollment on the Confucius Institute has increased to about 400, Lattouf says, adding the university will offer a new one-year diploma program in Chinese culture and translation in September, mainly the studies of Chinese-English translation and Chinese-Arabic translation.

The Chinese embassy in Lebanon "has showed great support and promised to find training centers for students graduating from the program", the institute's director notes.

At the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Qian Minjian praised the institute's role in promoting people-to-people exchanges and mutual understandings between China and Lebanon.

"We encourage and support the two countries to further strengthen cooperation in culture, education and youth so that more Lebanese friends, especially the young people, can experience and understand the unique charm of Chinese culture and deepen people-to-people exchanges and friendship between the two countries," Qian says.

Xinhua