Confucius Institute Staff

 

Joan Brzezinski, Director

Joan Brzezinski, director of the Confucius Institute graduated from Hamline University with a bachelor’s degree in East Asian history and later finished a Master of International Management degree at the University of St. Thomas. While at Hamline University, she was selected to participate in the reciprocal exchange program at Peking University, the first undergraduate-level exchange program with a private university in the U.S.

For more than twenty years, Joan worked in tourism and travel marketing and operations in China and the U.S and later as a business consultant to companies working in China. She has made more than thirty trips to China and has visited most major regions of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. In 1997, she joined the China Center where she administered the China Center’s business and activities. In 2008, Joan became the acting director of the newly established Confucius Institute. Since then, she has assisted the State of Minnesota in their discussions with the Hanban regarding a state-level visiting teachers program, developed a number of professional development seminars and meetings for Chinese language teachers throughout Minnesota, and worked with school districts to bring quality Chinese language programming to schools and enhance Chinese cultural offerings throughout Minnesota.

Yu Wang, Assistant Director

Yu Wang joined the Confucius Institute at the University of Minnesota as assistant director in 2009. She has an extensive understanding of Chinese traditional culture and history and ten years experience in teaching Chinese as a second language in the College of International Education at Capital Normal University. Yu was born and grew up in Inner Mongolia. She received her master's degree from the Central University for Nationalities and her Ph.D. from Peking University degree—both in Chinese classical literature. She is particularly proud of Chinese culture because of its rich 5,000 year history and continuous evolution.

Yu has extensive interests in anthropology and sociology and she is enthusiastic to work at Confucius Institute at the University of Minnesota where she can strengthen understanding and relationships between American and Chinese people through various Chinese language and culture activities.

Emily Hanson, Project & Program Specialist

Emily Hanson earned her bachelor’s degree in global studies from the University of Minnesota and is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in nonprofit management. Emily began her study of Chinese language at Minneapolis South High School. During her junior year she participated in School Year Abroad, a semester-long high school program in Beijing. She continued her study of Chinese at the University of Minnesota and Lewis & Clark College.

Emily has spent the majority of her career in the nonprofit sector, including positions with a Chinese adoption agency and educational organizations in literacy and the arts. As project & program specialist, Emily coordinates many of the Confucius Institute’s events and activities.

Yunli Gao, Administrative Fellow

Yunli Gao worked as an administrative fellow in the University of Minnesota China Center prior to the opening of the Confucius Institute in 2008. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in second languages and cultures in education at the Unversity of Minnesota. She has experience teaching English in China and now enjoys promoting Chinese language and culture in Minnesota.

 

 

 

Li Yang, Administrative Fellow

Li Yang is persuing a Ph.D. in comparative and international development education through the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota. Li was born and grew up in Xinjiang, one of the most multicultural and multilingual places of China, and is interested in intercultural communication and education. Before coming to Minnesota, she was a lecturer of English literature and Mandarin Chinese in Xinjiang University for five years. Her students of Mandarin Chinese included minorities in her region and international students in China. Li loves novels and poetry in both English and Chinese. She believes that language is a way to the heart of a culture and she is happy to be able to share this with others.

Hogan Chan, Resource Library Attendant

Hogan Chan is a student worker in the Confucius Institute Resource Library. He is currently persusing a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance at the University of Minnesota. Originally from Hong Kong, Hogan enjoys a wide variety of activities including singing Karaoke. He is excited to assist people looking for books, DVDs, and other resources available in the resource library.