New co-director of the Confucius Institute provides fresh perspective
Matthew Wappett is a University of Idaho faculty member who, after eight years on campus, decided to shatter a misconception harbored by his students and colleagues.
Philip Vukelich | Argonaut
Matt Wappett, newly appointed co-director of the University of Idaho Confucius Institute, attempts to play a hulusi — or gourd flute.
“I am not a werewolf,” Wappett joked while discussing potential stigmas surrounding his varying lines of work.
In addition to managing the UI Center on Disabilities and Human Development, the light-hearted, beard-wielding interdisciplinary training director and associate professor was recently appointed co-director of the Confucius Institute.
“Essentially, I have two full-time jobs,” Wappett said. “It’s a little tricky because half of my day is in English and half my day is in Chinese, but I like challenges.”
Wappett, an Alaskan native who received a doctorate in special education from the University of Utah, began his career in education as a high school English teacher before climbing the collegiate ladder.
Alton Campbell, director of the University Honors Program, first met Wappett while he was teaching core classes, and said he was known for his enthusiasm in the classroom from the get-go.
“I remember the students commenting on how interesting and stimulating he was,” Campbell said. “They were so excited about him I thought, ‘I’m going to see who this guy is.”‘
While Wappett’s two fields of study — special education and Chinese — may seem unrelated, he said said they are inexplicably linked.
Wappett was first exposed to the Chinese culture during a two-year long mission trip in Taiwan. He said the trip broadened his perspective as both an educator and human being.
“Asia is different in every possible way,” Wappett said. “From the food to the written language to the way that people interact with one another. It’s very clear from the minute you walk off the plane that you’re not in Kansas anymore.”
He said his interest in special education spiked during the mission trip.
“We did service in mental institutions that opened my eyes to the exploitation and oppression that people with cognitive disabilities faced around the world,” he said. “My original experience began in Taiwan … and now it’s coming back full-circle here in Idaho.”
Wappett said he is excited to work as the co-director of the Confucius Institute because he foresees benefits that would apply to China, the U.S. and even UI.
“This position gives me an opportunity to have a bit of a broader impact,” he said. “I think that as an institution, the University of Idaho is well positioned to develop some key partnerships with Chinese institutions that will benefit both people in China as well as those in Idaho.”
In addition to endorsing the value of partnerships, Wappett, who learned Chinese through cultural immersion rather than in a formal classroom setting, is a proponent of the Chinese language because of the country’s growing influence in the world.
“I feel very strongly that if students are going to learn a language, that it is one that is going to be useful in the future,” Wappett said.
While Wappett’s goals in his administrative capacities seem overwhelming at times, he said he retains the support and admiration of his colleagues.
Campbell confirms.
“He is down-to-earth and is able to engage students intellectually and interpersonally,” Campbell said.
Through his new position with the Confucius Institute, Wappett said he is excited to share his passion and appreciation for the Chinese culture with UI students.
“My job is to create misconceptions, to set up expectations and then shatter them in a constructive way,” he said. “People look at a bearded, tall white male and have no idea someone like that can learn and speak Chinese…I challenge people to think more openly about the world.”
Corrin Bond can be reached at [email protected]