People

The Institute has the backing of the University of Edinburgh at the most senior level and from its partners, as is shown by the membership of the Advisory Board.

The appointment of Professor Natascha Gentz, Chair of Chinese Studies at the University of Edinburgh, as Director responsible for the development and progress of the Institute, shows a further level of commitment. Professor Gentz is now Assistant Principal (China).

From the Institute’s academic partner in China, Fudan University in Shanghai, a co-director is sent for a period of two or more years.

To assist the Director there are three staff – a General Manager, a Business Development Administrator and an Admin Assistant who manage the operation of the Institute and its programme of events and classes.

Teaching staff are drawn from university partners in China as well as from locally sourced staff to enable the Institute to offer a diverse programme of language and cultural studies. Fudan University also provides the Institute with a number of Masters Candidates in Teaching of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages who join the Institute for a year or more of international experience.

The Institute also calls upon the expertise of staff within the University of Edinburgh as specialist Programme Advisors.

Staff Profiles

Current Teacher:

Former Staff

Frances Christensen: General Manager (Retired March 2018)

Dr Zhu Zhu: Chinese Language Programme Director

Staff that returned to China after a one year to four years placement: