Tanzanian teachers sing a Chinese song at the 10th-anniversary celebration of the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on July 1, 2023. The Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania on Saturday celebrated its 10th anniversary. Government officials, Chinese diplomats in Tanzania, representatives from Confucius institutes and Chinese companies in the country attended the ceremony. (Photo by Herman Emmanuel/Xinhua)

 
"The Chinese language is the language of the day across the globe. It is the language that unlocks opportunities for the youth, locally and globally," said Asha Fum Khamis, a Chinese language teacher from Tanzania's Zanzibar at the Confucius Institute within the University of Dar es Salaam.

As the institute marks its 10th anniversary this year, many Tanzanian people believe that their lives have been changed.

Elionora Joseph Mosha, 22, and Hamida Seif Alawi, 24, both third-year students at the University of Dar es Salaam pursuing a bachelor of language studies, said after gaining access to Chinese language learning at the Confucius Institute, they obtained a big horizon to further knowing China and the whole world.

Aldin Mutembei, Tanzanian director at the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam, said the institute has helped bridge the culture and friendship link between China and Tanzania. "The Confucius Institute is like a bridge for the Tanzanian people to understand the Chinese language and culture, and of course, our friendship," said Mutembei.

"The past 10 years, however, have seen more than 100 teachers and volunteers from China come to Tanzania, training more than 60,000 Chinese language learners," said Zhang Xiaozhen, the Chinese director of the institute.

Chen Mingjian, the Chinese ambassador to Tanzania, said the institute has helped nearly 100 students apply for scholarships, providing them with the opportunity to study in China.

The institute was established in 2013 under an agreement between the University of Dar es Salaam, the Chinese International Education Foundation and Zhejiang Normal University.