SCEN August 2022 Update
Welcome back to the new school session/academic year 2022/23. After the considerable challenges of the past two years, we look forward hopefully to a time of fewer restrictions, albeit with many uncertainties ahead.
Congratulations to all students of Chinese who have achieved success in SQA exams, and welcome to all students of Chinese at every level in school or higher education who are embarking on the study of the language, or who are picking up again at the start of the new term or semester.
Welcome also to the new teachers of Chinese in our schools. Please make sure you are part of the SCEN Network!
These are challenging times for Chinese learning. But as China grows in importance on the world stage, economically, culturally, and politically, there has never been a time when it is more important for young Scots to be able to engage with the people of China through learning at least a little about Chinese language and culture.
At SCEN we look forward to more face-to-face meetings, more engagement, more opportunities to share good practice, more involvement of young people.
SCEN LECTURE 2022
Speaker: Martin McDermott, representative of Scottish Government at the British Embassy, Beijing 2017 – 2022.
Date: Thursday 1 December, 6 pm – 8:30pm
Location: Royal Society of Edinburgh, 22 George Street, Edinburgh
Martin will share with us his experience of working at the front line in the British Embassy in Beijing through five tumultuous years. As well as hearing about Martin’s recent experiences in China there will also be an opportunity to question him about how Scotland can work with China in challenging times.
The talk will be followed by a networking opportunity, for the first time in three years people associated with SCEN or who are interested in or involved with China or with language learning will be able to engage face-to-face. School and university students are particularly welcome to attend this event.
We will be directly contacting all members of the SCEN network and tickets for the event are available for free on Eventbrite. If you have any questions, or wish for assistance to guarantee a place at this important SCEN event, please contact admin@scen.info.
Please make 1 December 2022 a date in your diary!
YOUTH VOICE IN SCEN
SCEN YOUTH SUMMIT AT KINROSS HIGH SCHOOL: FRIDAY 23 SEPTEMBER
Registration at 10am, participants and target audience from Kinross High and invited neighbourhood schools interested in learning and teaching Mandarin will showcase their learning and give presentations on the study of Mandarin.
Programme to follow.
SCEN NATIONAL YOUTH SUMMIT
Youth engagement within SCEN remains a priority, despite all the recent challenges, and we are now planning the first SCEN national Youth Summit in three years. We are talking to partners about an optimum date for the event, avoiding clashes with other scheduled events. We are also working to identify an appropriate venue.
The event will showcase developments in learning Chinese in schools across Scotland and will include finalists from a Mandarin reading competition. We will be contacting SCEN Network members and schools in the next few weeks. In the meantime, for update information please contact youthvoice@scen.info.
YOUTH SUMMITS IN OTHER LOCATIONS
We are talking to schools about possible local Youth Summits in 2023. It is important to us to engage with all areas of Scotland, and bring the message of the importance of learning Chinese language. If you are interested in your school becoming involved, please contact admin@scen.info.
In the course of the new session, we intend to bring together young people (focusing on S4 – S6) in a (primarily) online network which can lead to youth work and engagement within SCEN. We are talking to schools and to the Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools about how such a national youth network can work effectively, and safely. We hope to have more information on this in the next few weeks. If you are a school student who might be interested in representing your peers to share ideas and work with SCEN, please ensure you have endorsement from your headteacher or appropriate senior staff member in your school. Schools, students, teachers… SCEN wants to hear from you!
SCEN AMBASSADORS
We recently updated the arrangements for the appointment of Ambassadors. For details, please visit the SCEN website or contact admin@scen.info.
RESEARCH PROJECT ON THE TEACHING OF MANDARIN ACROSS SCOTLAND
SCEN believes that a major research project is needed to chart the development of Mandarin learning, now with a number of providers, across Scotland. The project will identify where and how Mandarin is being taught, and of the added value to learners of embarking on a course in Mandarin.
The leader of the project will be a good friend of SCEN and member of our Advisory Council, Professor Antonella Sorace of Bilingualism Matters, now an independent social enterprise with branches across the world. Details about this important project are being discussed and we shall be sharing more on this soon.
SCEN CHINESE TEACHING CLUB
Welcome back, after a period of parental leave, to the Chair of the Chinese Teaching Club, Lynnette Martin, teacher of Mandarin in Aberdeen. The next scheduled meeting of the Club is Friday 21 October, though we will be contacting the CTC to confirm this date. At present, we aim to continue to hold these meetings online, as it makes the club more accessible for teachers across Scotland. For further information, and about how to join the Club, please contact admin@scen.info.
SCEN WEBSITE
The new SCEN website is a valuable resource for anyone interested in Mandarin learning and teaching in Scotland. We post regular updates and meeting dates as well as share relevant news and events from all our partners. We also share students' experiences of studying Mandarin both in Scotland and abroad, and offer a password protected resources page in our Teaching Zone. We are always looking to promote relevant news and events, as well as improve our site to make it more accessible and user-friendly. If you have anything you would like us to share, or any feedback on the website, please contact admin@scen.info.
UPCOMING MEETINGS:
SCEN Trustees AGM & Meeting: Thursday 22 September at 2 pm, In Person
Chinese Teaching Club: Friday 21 October at 3:30pm Online - Date TBC
SCEN Advisory Council: Friday 28 October at 2pm Online
For more upcoming meetings, and other events, check out our events page on the SCEN website.
SCOTTISH CHURCHES CHINA GROUP (SCCG): PANEL DISCUSSION
“What is our future with China?”
Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh.
Wednesday 21 September at 11am.
With buffet lunch at 1pm.
Panel:
Caroline Fielder (lecturer in Chinese Studies, University of Leeds)
Simon Macaulay (Chair, SCEN)
John MacMillan (CEO, The Eric Liddell Centre)
Registration with Eventbrite or contact admin@scen.info.
FAREWELL TO CONSUL GENERAL MA QIANG
The Consul General of the Peoples Republic of China, Mr Ma Qiang completed at the end of July his three years in post at the Consulate in Edinburgh. SCEN is grateful for the support Mr Ma and the Consulate have provided to SCEN over this difficult period, when face-to-face meetings have been rare and most communication has been online.
We wish Mr Ma well in his future ambassadorial career.
Best wishes to you all,
Simon Macaulay
Chair
SCEN
