Branching out

Confucius Institutes diversify in scope and funding

The Confucius Institute, a global network that promotes Chinese language and culture, is diversifying.

The United Kingdom has the first institute in the network that focuses on publishing. It is also the first collaboration between a Chinese publishing firm, Foreign Languages Teaching and Research Press, and a British university, Oxford Brookes.

Cai Jianfeng, president of the publishing house, says: "The new institute will be dedicated to Chinese-themed publishing and research and will create an academic platform for scholars from both countries to communicate on China-related subjects."

The company is the largest English-language teaching publisher and university press in China, ranking third in sales turnover. It publishes in 47 languages, with the majority of its publications in English and an increasing number of works in Chinese.

"The university is a good way to help spread our publications globally," Cai says.

Paul Inman, pro vice-chancellor of Oxford Brookes, says: "This is a particularly exciting development for Oxford Brookes. It will allow us to promote an understanding of one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations and one of the world's biggest, most diverse and fast-changing countries.

"Another benefit will be that the university's profile will be raised internationally. It will help in recruitment of students and improve research and partnership activity."

The institute plans to build up an online language community to promote Mandarin among young British people. The base for this activity will be FLTRP's Chineseplus.com, a joint initiative with Wordoor, an online language community in China.

The new institute will explore opportunities in promoting cooperation between the creative industries of China and Britain.

The Chinese publishing company presented its first Chinese-themed book, Traditional Chinese Gardens: Where Man and Nature Are One (English version), at the launch ceremony of the new Confucius Institute. The company and the university also held a joint exhibition, Wisdom of the East-Calligraphy Exhibition of Key Concepts in Chinese Thought and Culture.

Cai says that the new institute will not get funding from Hanban, the headquarters of the Confucius Institutes.

"We pay for most of the institute and the university contributes by using its own resources and manpower. The project is done together by the both sides."

During his state visit to Britain in October, President Xi Jinping praised Confucius Institutes for promoting cultural exchange.

He attended the UK Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms Annual Conference and unveiled the 1,000th Confucius Classroom plaque for Hautieu School in Jersey.

Shen Yang, minister counselor for education at the Chinese embassy in Britain, says: "Confucius Institutes all over the world have been acting as China's cultural calling cards. Located in the famous academic city of Oxford, the Confucius Institute at Oxford Brookes will surely play an important role in facilitating Sino-British, Sino-Europe, and global cultural exchanges."

Angus Phillips, director of the Oxford International Centre for Publishing, believes that the establishment of the Confucius Institute at Oxford Brookes University is "an exciting opportunity to strengthen our links with China in a variety of directions".

The university is collaborating with Peking University and runs training programs for Chinese publishers.

"Now we can generate a whole new set of connections with partners in China, whether around the study of Chinese language and culture or as a venue for traveling exhibitions. It is fitting for this international collaboration to have a focus on publishing, for which Oxford is world-renowned," says Phillips.

Confucius Institutes, started in 2004 by the Chinese government, focus on the arts, business or culture.

Hanban runs the institutes and reports directly to China's Ministry of Education.

The UK has 29 Confucius Institutes and 126 Confucius Classrooms, more than any other country in Europe, and stands second only to the United States as a host country.

The demand for Chinese courses and qualified teachers has increased with China's rapid rise to prominence on the global stage, and the UK government is emphasizing Mandarin-language lessons in schools.

British Chancellor George Osborne announced a 10 million pound ($15 million) investment to allow more children to learn Chinese at school, with the aim of having an additional 5,000 students learning Mandarin by 2020.

zhangchunyan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 11/06/2015 page28)