On May 28, a large-scale methodological seminar on current issues in teaching Chinese was held at Francisk Skorina Gomel State University. The university's Confucius Institute organized the educational forum, which has now become a tradition for the university.
Today, the Confucius Institute at Francisk Skorina Gomel State University is the largest regional center for Sinology. More than three hundred people attend language courses there, from schoolchildren and high school students to university students and specialized professionals. Twelve instructors from China teach classes on a regular basis. Such a broad and diverse audience requires teachers to continuously improve their skills, carefully select teaching materials, and implement advanced computer technologies.
The seminar program covered a wide range of topics, harmoniously combining classical pedagogy with digital innovation. Seven Chinese specialists and a representative of the Belarusian School of Philology shared their vision for the lesson structure.
The speakers paid special attention to the integration of neural networks into the educational environment. Wang Hui and Chi Yuqin demonstrated the potential of artificial intelligence in developing educational materials and teaching complex tenses to Russian-speaking students. Hou Yuhan shared practical experience using the digital resources of the ChinesePlus platform.
A number of presentations focused on overcoming specific difficulties in language acquisition. Xu Ying discussed the search for a professional teacher, and Yao Mengya presented effective strategies for working with adults. Kang Yaxin addressed the important topic of writing, proposing a character-centric approach to bridging the gap between signs and words in beginners. Her presentation was complemented by Maria Yezhova, a master's student in the Philology Department at GSU, who summarized methods for teaching Chinese characters to philology students. The humanities component was also addressed: Zhong Dong Sheng emphasized the role of aesthetic education, emphasizing the inextricable link between language learning and China's rich cultural and literary traditions.
The university's discussion platform brought together not only university faculty but also representatives of the regional education system. The extensive involvement of school teachers and methodologists was a practical step in implementing the agreement on the popularization of the Chinese language and culture, signed on December 9, 2025, between Francisk Skorina Gomel State University and the Main Education Department of the Gomel Regional Executive Committee. Experts from the Gomel Regional Institute for Education Development and the city's Educational and Methodological Office, as well as practicing teachers from Gomel Secondary Schools No. 2, 17, 22, and 56, actively participated in the seminar. Sheng Xuemei, Director of the Confucius Institute at the Belarusian State University of Foreign Languages (from the Chinese side), was the guest of honor at the meeting.
The regular holding of such scientific and methodological events not only contributes to the professional development of teachers but also firmly establishes Francisk Skorina Gomel State University as a leading center for Belarusian-Chinese educational cooperation in the region.
