In a significant advancement for Sino-Lanka educational cooperation, Sri Lanka has inaugurated its first comprehensive Chinese Language Teacher Cultural Training Camp, marking a transformative step in cross-cultural education. The pioneering initiative, convened from Thursday to Friday, brought together over 120 local Mandarin instructors from across the island nation for an immersive professional development experience.
The program, jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka, Lumbini Confucius Classroom, and Sri Lanka’s National Institute of Education, represents a strategic investment in strengthening the cultural dimensions of language education. Through thematic lectures, practical workshops, and immersive cultural activities ranging from calligraphy to tai chi, educators gained multidimensional exposure to Chinese cultural traditions and contemporary teaching methodologies.
Madhura Senevirathna, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education, emphasized the program’s critical timing, noting that ‘high-quality language education plays a key role in preparing our students for the world beyond our borders.’ He highlighted how Chinese language proficiency opens doors to academic, cultural, and economic opportunities while deepening people-to-people understanding between the two nations.
Counselor of Cultural Affairs at the Chinese Embassy, Ji Lili, characterized local Chinese language teachers as ‘ambassadors of culture and messengers of friendship’ who serve as vital bridges enhancing mutual understanding. The growing cohort of Sri Lankan Mandarin instructors has become instrumental in expanding educational and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
The training camp’s success has prompted plans for an expanded program in 2026, aiming to provide more intensive training sessions that will eventually cover all local Chinese language teachers throughout Sri Lanka. Outstanding participants will have the opportunity to travel to China for a two-week advanced cultural training program, further strengthening their connection to Chinese language and culture.