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Kota Kinabalu: Confucius Institute at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (CI@UMS) signed a letter of Intent (LOI) with Kolej Teknologi Yayasan Sabah (KTYS) to collaborate in academic and consultation activities. 

Through this LOI, CI@UMS will provide Mandarin language training to KTYS students who are tour guides and involved in the tourism industry. 

The training will also incorporate Chinese cultural education and local Chinese History in Sabah to enhance better understanding and communication between KTYS students after completion of their course with Chinese tourists in the future. 

The initiative will receive support from the Prime Minister’s Department sand will allow CI@UMS and KTYS to train more locals to speak better Mandarin and to increase their job prospects.

Through the signing, both CI@UMS and KTYS also agreed to conduct relevant programmes such as outreach, workshops or community activities together. 

The LOI was signed by Prof Ts Dr Chong Khim Phin, the Director (Malaysia) of the Institute with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KTYS, Datuk Hajjah Tah Nia Haji Jaman. 

The first Mandarin language training will commence within July this year for a duration of three months. The signing ceremony was held at the main campus of KYTS, Sembulan, Kota Kinabalu. 

In a press release after the signing ceremony, Prof Chong expressed his gratitude to the management of KTYS for their trust and confidence to CI@UMS in this collaboration. 

He added, providing quality and effective Mandarin language teaching is always one of the main priorities of the institute since its establishment. 

Teachers or trainers from the institute have vast experience in teaching Mandarin to non-native speakers and most of them have experience teaching Mandarin in several different countries before. 

Assoc Professor Dr Huang Yue Hua, the Director (China) of CI@UMS was also present in the ceremony.