Journey to the East
In the heart of Malta, within the walls of a secondary school, a remarkable initiative is quietly revolutionizing the way students perceive and engage with Chinese culture.
The brainchild of Mr Martin Azzopardi, a dedicated and visionary teacher, the Science China Corner at the St Margaret College Secondary School in Cospicua, Malta has become a beacon of multiculturalism in education for over a decade.
The science teacher’s recent China trip, along with 11 Maltese students, to Qufu in East China’s Shandong Province – known as the home of the great Chinese philosopher Confucius – has given Azzopardi new ideas for future projects.
“I am thinking about new projects, because while being there I discovered other cultural aspects, which hadn’t occurred to me before,” Azzopardi said, noting his discoveries such as the dragon skin roofs.
“I’m helping my students to discover the meaning behind lots of symbolism here.”
The trip is his first to China after receiving a reply from Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In July 2022, Azzopardi and his students wrote a letter to President Xi, expressing their best wishes for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malta and China.
In the reply letter sent at the beginning of August 2022, Xi noted that the China Corner has actively contributed to the enhancing understanding of China among the Maltese youth and promoted China-Malta friendship.
Xi also expressed his hopes that Maltese teachers, students and other young people would continue to help promote mutual learning of the two civilizations.
Engaging in youth exchanges in China has also left a profound impact on Azzopardi and his students.
“My students are not just appreciating beautiful temples, museums and the countryside, but are all the time telling me how much they wish they can stay in China, how much they wish they can stay here. I never imagined the Chinese to be so kind,” Azzopardi said.
Maltese youths participate in activities featuring traditional Chinese culture in Qufu, East China’s Shandong Province. Photo: Courtesy of Network of International Culturalink Entities
‘The need to share’
Through the cultural exchanges at the Science China Corner, the innovative program has increasingly strengthened ties between China and Malta, two geographically distant countries bonded by a shared desire for understanding and friendship.
Enraptured by the tales of Marco Polo and the wonders of Chinese inventions shared by his beloved grandmother, Azzopardi first visited China in 2010 and was fascinated by the country’s rich culture.
“Following my first visit to China in 2010, I returned to my country with so much love for Chinese culture. But then I felt the need to share all that I had here in my heart with my students,” Azzopardi told the Global Times in an exclusive interview.
After his now seemingly life-changing journey to China, Azzopardi embarked on a mission to integrate Chinese culture into his science syllabus using the Montessori method of teaching and established the Science China Corner at his school.
Among the momentous events held in the last decade, the science exhibition on China at the China Corner was established by Azzopardi, for students from all departments to come together to showcase their research.
The Science China Corner has achieved remarkable milestones, and the impact of the Science China Corner extends beyond the walls of the school.
“We do approximately 40 projects a year, which is not a joke, as each project requires lots and lots of study and research,” Azzopardi told the Global Times.
Azzopardi and his students have published their findings through articles in local newspapers and on social media platforms, providing access to their findings and projects to a wider audience.
“As projects have to be documented in some way in an article, and the articles must be certified for publication, we are able to publish our articles. And in doing so, it’s not just my students who learn about Chinese culture, but the whole country also learns from our students, science and the China corner projects,” he said.
Maltese youths participate in activities featuring traditional Chinese culture in Qufu, East China’s Shandong Province. Photo: Courtesy of Network of International Culturalink Entities
Build bridges, not walls
However, the China Corner has faced opposition and criticism from some who failed to grasp the beauty of cultural integration in education.
“When you do something new and innovative, get prepared for criticism,” Azzopardi said, noting that he has faced lots of opposition due to people’s lack of understanding of why he relates science to Chinese culture.
“This is a Montessori method of teaching. And so it is my role to decide which method of teaching I use to teach my students,” he said.
“What’s the problem with China? It’s a country with a long history and is a vast culture. We must learn from these things.”
Azzopardi also noted that he has since lost good friends for reasons which he is unable to understand, underlining that “we are here to build bridges and not to build walls.”
“The Science China Corner is teaching my students to be young diplomats, and not just enhance Chinese culture and multiculturalism in education, but is also helping my students to be young diplomats between Malta and China and is teaching them to be bridge- and not wall-builders,” he said.
Despite facing setbacks and even losing friends, Azzopardi said his determination is backed by the Chinese diplomatic community which has propelled him forward.
“I would like to convey my gratitude to the China Culture Center in Malta. To me, they were my source of energy because, thanks to them, I can keep going,” he said.
The increased antagonism against China by certain Western countries has also dealt a growing criticism to Azzopardi. But he said he is determined to continue his efforts.
“What’s going on at the political level is not my ‘daily menu.’ My intention is education and to open up and widen my students’ intellect and multiculturalism,” Azzopardi told the Global Times.
“If you want me to stop the Science China Corner, I will resign from being a teacher after 30 years in the teaching profession, because I know I am doing good things to my students,” he said.
Having the Science China Corner will also minimize the students’ misunderstandings about and misconceptions of China.
“The students may hold some prejudices about the East or about China, or about Eastern countries,” Azzopardi noted.
“But when they come to the Science China Corner projects and discover the richness of Chinese culture, its long and beautiful history, they realize that their misconceptions were truly misconceptions.”
“Coming together hand in hand, this is what we need. We need to invest in our young generation and show them the beauty of coming together.”
(Global Times)
