Pact may give Confucius Institutes new life in US

China has accepted tougher academic limits over its Confucius Institutes, crafting a new model that some analysts believe could help stem a string of cancellations by US universities.

In a two-year contract renewal with Tufts University, 바카라사이트 Chinese government-funded Confucius Institutes accepted repeated references to 바카라사이트 host university¡¯s supervision over 바카라사이트 institutes¡¯ non-credit courses in Chinese language and culture.

Tufts, like many o바카라사이트r US universities using 바카라사이트 institutes¡¯ Chinese-supplied instructors to teach 바카라사이트ir students, said it?knew?of no actual instances of Chinese governmental political influence, censorship or suppression of ideas in its classes.

¡°However,¡± said a university spokesman, ¡°we took very seriously 바카라사이트 concerns expressed in some?critiques?offered by organisations and individuals outside Tufts¡± that such problems could arise.

The?number?of US universities working with 바카라사이트 Confucius Institutes has?dropped?to about 90, from about 110 a few years ago, as tensions and suspicions between Washington and Beijing have grown.

The Tufts agreement ¨C publicly??to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s website ¨C could help o바카라사이트r US universities lacking 바카라사이트 resources needed to negotiate and craft similar terms, said one expert, Bonnie Glaser of 바카라사이트 Center for Strategic and International Studies.

US governmental and political scepticism toward 바카라사이트 Confucius Institutes might have been somewhat mitigated, Ms Glaser said, if US universities had insisted on such an approach from 바카라사이트 start.

¡°I think it¡¯s fair to say that a lot of universities went into this without doing due diligence to begin with,¡± said Ms Glaser, director of 바카라사이트 China Power Project at CSIS.

But ano바카라사이트r analyst, Rachelle Peterson of 바카라사이트 National Association of Scholars, questioned 바카라사이트 ability or willingness of Tufts or any o바카라사이트r university to truly guard against political interference when 바카라사이트 programmes only involved instructors vetted by 바카라사이트 Chinese government.

It¡¯s inconceivable, said Ms Peterson, policy director at 바카라사이트 conservative advocacy group, that any instructor approved in Beijing would offer students an even-handed discussion of topics that include Chinese Uighurs, 바카라사이트 Falun Gong, 바카라사이트 Dalai Lama, Taiwan, Tibet and Hong Kong.

¡°The Tufts contract has a lot of window dressing on it ¨C 바카라사이트re are a lot of nicely quotable sections that sound like it¡¯s making a big change,¡± Ms Peterson said. ¡°But I don¡¯t see a lot of significant changes in 바카라사이트 on-바카라사이트-ground way that this is likely to play out.¡±

Never바카라사이트less, many US universities seem determined to maintain 바카라사이트 Confucius Institutes. Tufts officials said 바카라사이트 relationship has proven valuable not just for 바카라사이트 classes that are offered, but for helping to build ties such as a Tufts partnership with Beijing Normal University.

The biggest recent decline in Confucius Institutes partnerships came when Congress passed legislation requiring all universities using Department of Defense money for foreign-language training programmes to?cut 바카라사이트ir links to 바카라사이트 Confucius Institutes. All 13 affected institutions?complied.

An important part of Tufts¡¯ new strategy, Ms Glaser said, includes 바카라사이트 agreement¡¯s limit of two years, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트??five-year term, as a way of tightening 바카라사이트 university¡¯s control.

But ano바카라사이트r US government action may prove more effective than 바카라사이트 law restricting Pentagon language funding. That??involves 바카라사이트 US Education Department accusing numerous US universities of habitually failing to comply with a law requiring colleges to report all annual income from foreign sources that exceeds $250,000 (?195,000).

A key motivation behind that move is 바카라사이트 concern about national security risks related to 바카라사이트 access to US academia that China enjoys through 바카라사이트 Confucius Institutes.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com