Universitas Hasanuddin obtained the Individual Performance Excellence Award from the government of People’s Republic of China, 10 December 2016, at an event conducted in Kunming, China. Unhas Rector, Prof. Dr. Dwia Aries Tina Pulubuhu, M.A. accompanied by the Dean of the Faculty of Literature Unhas, Prof. Drs. Burhanuddin Arafah, M.Hum, Ph.D., was handed the award that took in the form of a silver medal, in the event that was coincided with the XI Confucius Institute Conference.
The award is known of immense prestige, and given to Unhas for their services in the development of Mandarin Language that has been maintained for a period of five years until now. Unhas is one among the six institutions in Indonesia that facilitates Mandarin Language program, and the only higher education institution that obtained the award in Indonesia. Besides Unhas that represented Indonesia, there were an extended amount of higher education institutions present in the event (from approximately 140 countries), that obtained the same award.
“Unhas is able to retrieve the award as we are known to have succeeded to conduct the Mandarin Language program. Besides the conduct in campus, Unhas further inaugurated a number branches, which include in Athirah Makassar, Tomohon in North Sulawesi, and next year in Universitas Udayana (Unud), Denpasar, Bali,” stated the Unhas Rector, Dwia Aries Tina Pulubuhu, Tuesday (13/12/2016), and further added that specifically for Bali, the program would be based for tourism purposes.
Dwia described that the Mandarin Language program in Unhas invites lecture staffs from China, besides the utilization of the local staff of Makassar. Those educated (that have now reached thousands in figures), do not merely consist of students, as they also include the general public. Besides the conduct of Mandarin Language learning, Unhas partnered with the Chengho Foundation, and the Chinese Community in Makassar, with the purpose among many, the conduct of cultural events. It is also known that China has been routinely sending their art team to Unhas, to enliven the events conducted.
Unhas now has the right to issue certificates to those educated as a form of participation legality. Dwia hoped, Unhas would be able to send 30-40 students to China in order to attend their higher educations following. Until now, there have been approximately 500 students sent to China.
Dwia stated that by next year, Unhas will officially inaugurate the Mandarin Language Study Program, equal to all other study programs that are offered in the Faculty of Literature, Unhas. Other partnerships planned have now expanded, from merely a linguistic based cooperation, to one that will include other fields including herbal medicine, expected to take place by the end of the Ramadhan next year. Beforehand, Unhas have previously cooperated in the field of acupuncture with Xiamen university.
“We have been expansive,” stated Dwia, “as we are evolving being the sole higher education institution in Indonesia to have conducted official partnership with the Chinese government, in this case, the Ministry of Education. Other educational institutions have merely engaged on University level partnerships. Unhas will propose, if they are equipped with sufficient staff, the Tomohon branch, which will open their own class”
The Chinese Government each year provides budgeting for 2.000 students to conduct their studies in China. Unhas throughout the years have also maintained direct partnership with the Chinese Government, taking in the form of a sister university with Nanchang University, China.
