Dr.Johannah Mary Cook

     Johannah Mary Cook,新西兰籍，中国文学与哲学博士。2014年至今，一直在浙江越秀外国语学院工作，其不仅教授中国学生英语口语类课程，还积极向外国留学生介绍中国文化、中国美学及核心价值观。在研究上，Johannah努力将自己研究专长和中国文化相结合，经常撰写一些在绍兴的逸闻趣事发表在国外期刊，让更多的外国友人了解绍兴和浙江文化，还曾作为嘉宾参与制作一部关于魏晋诗人及当代作家（如鲁迅）电视纪录片。由于工作突出，2016年Johannah被授予浙江省西湖友谊奖和绍兴市荣誉市民的称号。

 Greg Lishman

       Greg Lishman hails from South Africa and is a native English speaker of UK descent with extensive experience in international trade and foreign relations.

Greg holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Rhodes University and a postgraduate BSc Honours degree from the University of the Witwatersrand.

        He is married to a Chinese national and over the years has done much to promote Chinese culture in South Africa. Apart from assisting his wife with running a Chinese language school in Johannesburg, Greg has presented Chinese Culture and Etiquette Seminars at several organizations including the BRICS Institute.

       During a several year teaching sojourn on Taiwan island in the 2000s, Greg developed a keen interest in teaching English to Chinese language speakers, and at one stage maintained a classroom at the Huaxin Library where he taught English to members of the overseas Chinese community in Johannesburg’s Chinatown.

     Greg has worked for both Chinese state-owned enterprises and foreign companies and has been deeply involved in the international trade of minerals and agricultural commodities, particularly beef. Past involvement in the media space also led him to write numerous newspaper articles and press releases.

      As a native English speaker with expertise in a wide range of fields, Greg is in an excellent position to assist Chinese learners to acquire English language fluency. He is particularly passionate about boosting the confidence levels of ZYUFL students, so that they may better realize their full English-speaking potential.

  Gilbert Acuña

     Gilbert Acuña, from the United States of America first came to China in the fall of 2016. He spent nine years in the Taizhou area teaching middle school students English and organizing an American Football Club for Middle school students. In 2024 he was awarded a Certificate of Honor from the Yuhuan Education Bureau.
      Gilbert has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with emphasis on government systems. However, Gilbert’s education was not limited to Political Science. A strong believer in Autodidactism which is self-directed learning and self-determined learning. In the autodidactic paradigm, a learner should be at the center of their own learning. Gilbert through autodidactic learning has an extensive education in many fields such as European and Asian History, Psychology, Philosophy, Theology, & Creative Writing. The joy of learning never fades there is always a new mountain to climb.

    Gilbert strives to instill in his students the same passion for learning and discovery. Encouraging his students to take responsibility for their own learning and have the joy of discovering what is on the other side of the intellectual mountain.

 Bryant

      Bryant- A professor that has taught around several Chinese Universities in Career Education, creates workshops, and attends Career Development events. He has a background in Human Resources by helping and teaching students to prepare for life after graduation. Students may not know or be prepared as the job market is a high competitive field which everyone has to face. In his classes, students understand it more and how a language or other fields can better prepare but it comes to students understanding it, building experience and further education and working goals they want to reach.

James Redford Baker

  James Redford Baker hails from Cambridge, UK, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Modern Languages (French and German) from the University of Oxford. A native English speaker with over 15 years of teaching experience, he began teaching English in China in 2011.

     Since joining ZYU, James has taught a diverse range of courses, including Oral English (first-semester course), English Speeches and Debates (fourth-semester course), and A Guide to the Sources of Western Civilization (fifth-semester course).

    James is deeply committed to pedagogical research and continuously refines his teaching methods and materials based on student engagement and attainment. He strives to create a positive learning environment in which students gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence required to express themselves clearly and fluently, engage in independent research, think critically, and collaborate with others effectively.

   As a native English speaker with a rigorous academic background, extensive classroom experience, and increasing knowledge of Chinese language and culture, James continues to assist Chinese learners in developing their English language skills, cultural understanding, and professional expertise. He is passionate about student development and serves as a true bridge between Western and Chinese educational cultures—an educator who guides with care and a steadfast belief in every student's potential.