Maltese lecturer grows passion for China

VALLETTA — "I love Chinese history and culture, and I am willing to continue introducing it to Maltese audiences through lectures," says Stephen Cachia, lecturer in Chinese history at the University of Malta.

From October 2020 to last June, Cachia held 18 online lectures on Chinese history at the invitation of the China Cultural Center in Malta. Each lecture lasted 90 minutes, and the program proved popular.

Cachia made his lectures as concise and focused as possible and used many photos to illustrate his stories.

"Most people in Malta are not familiar with the history of China. To attract their interest, I introduced the country's history through stories," he says.

Fluent in Spanish, Cachia worked at the Zaragoza Expo in Spain, in 2008, where he decided to learn Chinese because he wanted to work at the Shanghai Expo in 2010. He eventually got there and joined the team of Malta's national pavilion.

Between 2012 and 2018, Cachia worked as a teacher of Chinese at the China Cultural Center in his home country.

He has also visited China several times. While there in 2017, he was amazed by the convenience brought by mobile payment to people's daily life.

"Every time I visit China, I am impressed by its openness, modernity and inclusiveness," Cachia says. "The rapid development of China is beyond imagination."

Cachia says he plans to visit more historical cities in China, including Nanjing, in Jiangsu province, and Quanzhou, in Fujian province, the important starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road.
"I believe that visiting these places will help my teaching," he says.

As a teacher of Chinese history, Cachia wishes to contribute to promoting cultural exchanges between Malta and China, and he says he hopes that more Maltese people will learn about China's history and culture.

Whether teaching students at the university or giving lectures to local people, Cachia always encourages them to visit China and "see the real China with their own eyes".