China’s investment in U.S. higher education has raised considerable debate, but little research has been directed to the manner in which this investment unfolds and takes shape on the ground in local contexts. Confucius and Crisis in American Universities fills this gap by closely investigating how Chinese-funded U.S. programs are understood and configured in the modern American university. Drawing on interviews with Chinese teachers and their American students, as well as conversations with university administrators, this book argues that Chinese investment in American higher education serves as a broad form of global policy, harnessing the power of intercultural exchange as a means of managing international diplomatic relations through the experiences of university students. A transnational study, Confucius and Crisis in American Universities questions and reframes conventional notions of economic globalization and flexible citizenship, demonstrating how Chinese investment in U.S. education advances the lives of the already-privileged by creating access to overseas labor and markets, but to the exclusion of middle- and working-class students. A valuable and timely resource for scholars of education and anthropology, this book will also be useful to anyone interested in education policy or international affairs.
China’s investment in U.S. higher education has raised considerable debate, but little research has been directed to the manner in which this investment unfolds and takes shape on the ground in local contexts. Confucius and Crisis in American Universities fills this gap by closely investigating how Chinese-funded U.S. programs are understood and configured in the modern American university. Drawing on interviews with Chinese teachers and their American students, as well as conversations with university administrators, this book argues that Chinese investment in American higher education serves as a broad form of global policy, harnessing the power of intercultural exchange as a means of managing international diplomatic relations through the experiences of university students. A transnational study, Confucius and Crisis in American Universities questions and reframes conventional notions of economic globalization and flexible citizenship, demonstrating how Chinese investment in U.S. education advances the lives of the already-privileged by creating access to overseas labor and markets, but to the exclusion of middle- and working-class students. A valuable and timely resource for scholars of education and anthropology, this book will also be useful to anyone interested in education policy or international affairs.
This unique book reproduces important government documents, studies, and a Senate hearing dealing with Confucius Institutes at American universities, and U.S. universities in China. The People's Republic of China (PRC)'s Confucius Institutes, which offer Chinese language classes in universities and other academic institutions around the world, have been the subject of controversy since appearing on U.S. campuses in 2005, particularly for their perceived effects on academic freedom and lack of transparency. They have attracted further attention in recent years as some Members of Congress and others have alleged that they may play a role in China's efforts to influence public opinion abroad, recruit "influence agents" on U.S. campuses, and engage in cyber espionage and intellectual property theft. PRC officials and scholars deny such charges, and suggest that the Institutes have been become victims of a U.S. "Cold War mentality" and "cultural containment" of China. Some raise additional concerns, which are discussed at length in other studies. These include the lack of PRC reciprocity toward U.S. educational efforts in China, the improper use of U.S. Exchange Visitor (J-1) visas for Institute instructors in some cases, and possible incomplete reporting by U.S. universities to the Department of Education (DOE) regarding funds received from China for the establishment and operation of Confucius Institutes. U.S. supporters of the Confucius Institutes assert that the activities of the Institutes are narrow in scope and do not impinge upon academic freedom in the broader university environment, and that the Institutes provide Chinese language and cultural programs that benefit students, universities, and local communities. Some note that in some U.S. colleges and universities, Chinese language instruction is only available through the Confucius Institute.This compilation includes a reproduction of the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.Contents: Confucius Institutes in the United States: Selected Issues * China: Agreements Establishing Confucius Institutes at U.S. Universities Are Similar, but Institute Operations Vary * China - U.S. Universities in China Emphasize Academic Freedom but Face Internet Censorship and Other Challenges * China's Impact on the U.S. Education System: U.S. Senate Hearing, 2019 * Opening Statement of Senator Tom Carper * China - Observations on Confucius Institutes in the United States and U.S. Universities in China - GAO Testimony * Testimony of Walter Douglas, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of State * Testimony of Jennifer Zimdahl Galt, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of State * Statement of General Mitchell M. "Mick" Zais * Do Confucius Institutes Threaten Academic Freedom? * On Senate Floor, Portman Delivers Remarks on China's Impact on the U.S. Education System * Rubio Warns of Beijing's Growing Influence, Urges Florida Schools to Terminate Confucius Institute Agreements
Along with the development of China's economic and military power, China is perceived by its competitors as a threat to the international system. In order to have a "peaceful rise" and to project a benign national image to the world, China began taking a series of actions to market itself. The Confucius Institute project is one of the public diplomacy actions in education in response to Beijing's "peaceful rise" slogan. The Confucius Institutes are non-profit public institutions affiliated with the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China whose stated aimsare to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally, and facilitate cultural exchanges.The increasing number of Confucius Institutes has received world-wide attention. This phenomenon has also precipitated an important debate in America on Chinese's soft-poweragenda. According to Joseph Nye, the founding father of "Soft-Power Theory," soft-power is the power of attraction without coercion. Nonetheless, results from this study suggest that the Confucius Institutes create mutually beneficialconsequences for both China and America, andtend to promote educational opportunities and social justice in America. This multiple case study is comprised of data from four of the Confucius Institutes in different geographiclocations in America (one from the Southwest, one from the Northwest, one from the East Coast, and the other one from the Midwest). Further data were also collected onother Confucius Institutes in the United States. Through document analysis, informal interviews, participant-observation, and semi-structured interviews, I primarily focused on the perceptions and beliefs from key personnel based in America, who set up and/or work for the Confucius Institutes in America. My inquiry is guided by the following research questions: 1) What is the nature of the Confucius Institute? 2) Why would aU.S. host institution want to house a Confucius Institute? 3) What trends are evident toward this Confucius Institute in its host institution? The study aims to find out what the Confucius Institutes at American universities do, to what extent they serve as a political tool for China, what benefits are there for host institutions in America, and what the future trends of the Confucius Institutes are in America. Across all four sites, staff members and key personnel suggested that the political influence from the Confucius Institutes is limited, as the programs offered by the Confucius Institute are low level; additionally, American Directors appointed by host institutions are in absolute leadership positions, ensuring the purpose and contents of Confucius Institute programs are strictly guided by the host institutions. This dissertation argues that the Confucius Institutes create a win-win situation for both China and the U.S. However, while the number of Confucius Institutes is growing aggressively in America and worldwide, the future of the Institutes abroad remains unknown. Its lack of self-sustainability, under-developed management from Hanban (the Confucius Institutes' headquarters in Beijing), and unstable policy/funding resources from the Chinese government are the key issues that could hinder the Confucius Institutes' longevity.
More than 100 U.S. institutions of higher education hosted Confucius Institutes (CIs), Chinese government-funded language and culture centers, on campus during the late 2000s and 2010s. While CIs provided a source of funding and other resources that enabled U.S. colleges and universities to build capacity, offer supplemental programming, and engage with the local community, CIs presented an added, legitimate source of risk to host institutions with respect to academic freedom, freedom of expression, and national security. By 2017, deteriorating U.S.-China relations led some U.S. colleges and universities to reconsider the value of having a CI on campus. Sustained interest by Congress and political pressure led numerous U.S.-based CIs to close, especially following the passage of the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, which contained a provision that ultimately barred institutions receiving Department of Defense (DOD) critical language flagship funding in Chinese from hosting a CI. While this provision allowed for a waiver process - and several affected colleges and universities applied for waivers in 2018 and 2019 - DOD did not issue any waivers. Today, seven CIs remain on U.S. university and college campuses. At the request of DOD, Confucius Institutes at U.S. Institutions of Higher Education presents a set of findings and recommendations for waiver criteria to potentially permit the continued presence of CIs on U.S. university campuses that also receive DOD funding.
This book examines China’s contemporary global cultural footprints through its recent development of cultural diplomacy. The volume presents an alternative analytical framework to examine China’s cultural diplomacy, which goes beyond the Western-defined concept of ‘soft power’ that prevails in the current literature. This new approach constructs a three-dimensional framework on Orientalism, cultural hegemony and nationalism to decipher the multiple contexts, which China inhabits historically, internationally and domestically. The book presents multiple case studies of the Confucius Institute, and compares the global programme located around the world with its Western counterparts, and also with other Chinese government-sponsored endeavours and non-government-initiated programmes. The author aims to solve the puzzle of why China’s efforts in cultural diplomacy are perceived differently around the world and helps to outline the distinctive features of China’s cultural diplomacy. This book will be of much interest to students of diplomacy, Chinese politics, foreign policy and International Relations in general.
Confucianism and the Succession Crisis of the Wanli Emperor, 1587 is set in the Hanlin Academy in Ming dynasty China. Most students are members of the Grand Secretariat of the Hanlin Academy, the body of top-ranking graduates of the civil service examination who serve as advisers to the Wanli emperor. Some Grand Secretaries are Confucian "purists," who hold that tradition obliges the emperor to name his first-born son as successor; others, in support of the most senior of the Grand Secretaries, maintain that it is within the emperor's right to choose his successor; and still others, as they decide this matter among many issues confronting the empire, continue to scrutinize the teachings of Confucianism for guidance. The game unfolds amid the secrecy and intrigue within the walls of the Forbidden City as scholars struggle to apply Confucian precepts to a dynasty in peril.
From Missionary Education to Confucius Institutes examines the history and globalization of cultural exchange between the United States and China and corrects many myths surrounding the incompatibility of American and Chinese cultures in the higher education sphere. Providing a fresh look at the role of non-state actors in advancing Sino-American cross-cultural knowledge exchange, the book presents empirical studies highlighting the diverse experiences and practices involved. Case studies include the U.S.-initiated missionary education in modern China, the involvement of private foundations and professional associations in education, the impact of Chinese and American laws on student exchanges, and the evaluation of the experience of U.S. Confucius Institutes. This book will appeal to students and scholars of U.S. and Chinese higher education from the past to the present, as well as international admission officers and university executives who are concerned about the global educational partnership with China and questions around the internationalization of education more broadly.
American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan discusses the aspirations and operations of American universities in China through the lens of previous American universities’ expansion efforts in Japan. It provides an in-depth explanation of the factors that contributed to the rise and decline of American universities in Japan in order to examine and predict the sustainability of American universities in China today. Through a review of historical documents, interviews with stakeholders in Japan and China, and an analysis of the cultural contexts of both the Japanese and Chinese higher education systems and the position of American universities within these environments, this book seeks to address the potential success or repeated failure of the American university abroad.