A PARENT WAS so impressed by the schedule of a trip to China that their child is to take part in that they went and booked a place on it themselves.

The trip is being undertaken by 90 Transition Year (TY) students and was organised by University College Cork (UCC) and Shanghai University. It will see the largest-ever delegation of TY students from 32 schools across Ireland spend two-weeks immersed in Chinese culture.

One parent was so impressed with the schedule on offer they decided to pay their own way and travel with the group next week.

Demand

The Easter Camp programme to Shanghai runs from April 2-16 and demand was “extraordinary”, according to Professor Fan Hong, Director of School of Asian Studies, the Irish Institute of Chinese Studies and the Confucius Institute at UCC:

Beyond the enthusiasm demonstrated by the students themselves, many of their parents were incredibly eager to give their sons and daughters an opportunity they never had – to experience Chinese culture and society first hand. A series of visits to some of the 20+ schools across Shanghai will not only allow the students to actively practice their Chinese, it will also nurture lifelong friendships and mutual understanding between Ireland and China.

The trip, which is sponsored by the Headquarters of the Confucius Institute (Hanban) in Beijing, will include sessions to discuss relations between Ireland and China.

While in Shanghai, the students will attend language classes, and learn about practical martial arts, paper cuttings, and calligraphy. They will also get to visit Shanghai, and the neighbouring cities of Suzhou and Hangzhou.

Between two and five students who are studying the Chinese Culture and Language module as part of TY are travelling from each selected school. They will be accompanied by Professor Fan Hong, Professor Mary Ruane, Mr Yongbin Xia and tutors from the UCC Confucius Institute, teachers from some Irish schools, as well as teachers from Shanghai University in Shanghai.

Read: Trinity signs student exchange deal with China’s no 1 university>

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