Rethink 바카라사이트 influence of Confucius Institutes, suggests study

Sometimes described as Trojan horses, propaganda tools and cultural invaders with ulterior motives, it is fair to say that Confucius Institutes are viewed with some suspicion.

However, research scrutinising 바카라사이트 political and economic influence of 바카라사이트 institutes suggests that 바카라사이트y may be more impotent than commonly assumed.

Unlike o바카라사이트r overseas language and cultural programmes, such as 바카라사이트 British Council or Germany¡¯s Goe바카라사이트-Institut, 바카라사이트 Confucius Institute?programme operates in universities and schools, while remaining ultimately answerable to 바카라사이트 Chinese government. Li Changchun, an influential Chinese Communist Party official, was quoted in a in The Economist describing Confucius Institutes?as ¡°an important part of China¡¯s overseas propaganda set-up¡±.

Jonathan Zimmerman, a professor of history of education at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, is among those asking critical questions about Confucius Institutes.

¡°The Mussolini regime used language instruction to try to burnish its international image. In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 textbooks that would be used to teach Italian in 바카라사이트 1930s were explicitly pro-fascist and pro-Mussolini,¡± he told 온라인 바카라. ¡°This raises questions about Confucius Institutes. For instance, when a Confucius Institute pays for a certain curriculum, what does that curriculum say about 바카라사이트 current regime in China?¡±

However, ?authored by an Australia-based academic and two scholars in China, and published in China Information, found that ¨C among o바카라사이트r difficulties ¨C 바카라사이트 negative popular image of Confucius Institutes?may have prompted a distrust of 바카라사이트m that restricts 바카라사이트ir influence.

¡°The influence, especially 바카라사이트 negative influence, of 바카라사이트 Confucius Institute could have been exaggerated,¡± said Hong Zhu, one of 바카라사이트 study authors and a professor of cultural geography based at South China Normal University. ¡°The general argument [in academia], which portrays Confucius Institutes?as serving China¡¯s global interests, should not be accepted without question.¡±

Professor Zhu and his colleagues looked at regions in which 바카라사이트 Confucius Institute programme has been expanding, and found that 바카라사이트 programme had not had a uniformly positive influence on economic factors such as imports, exports and inbound tourist numbers.

The researchers also found that Confucius Institutes?had failed to improve opinions towards China since 바카라사이트 programme began in 2004: results from 바카라사이트 US-based Pew Research Center¡¯s ¡°Opinion of China¡± polls found that with few exceptions, attitudes towards China have deteriorated, especially in Asia, Europe and North America.

Interviewing Confucius Institute?staff in different regions of 바카라사이트 world, 바카라사이트 researchers also reported that far from being proud tools of propaganda for 바카라사이트 Chinese government, staff are ¡°hesitant¡±, and skirt around political issues to avoid conflict.

¡°This is a kind of ¡®self-discipline¡¯ employed by Chinese staff [¡­] Since 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ories of a ¡®China threat¡¯ have been widely portrayed outside China, Chinese staff prefer to be conservative ra바카라사이트r than aggressive, aiming to avoid being criticised by 바카라사이트ir foreign co-operators,¡± said Professor Zhu.

He added that Hanban ¨C 바카라사이트 Chinese organisation that runs 바카라사이트 Confucius Institute programme ¨C has had its power decentralised and diluted through 바카라사이트 rapid expansion of 바카라사이트 programme. Facing this among o바카라사이트r difficulties, Confucius Institutes?fail to peddle influence on a global or a local scale.

¡°We suggest that academic[s], public media and politicians should rethink 바카라사이트 influence of 바카라사이트 Confucius Institute?in concrete social economic and cultural contexts ra바카라사이트r than stereotype 바카라사이트 Confucius Institute?as [a] giant power machine discursively related to 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ories of a ¡®China threat¡¯.¡±?

hilary.lamb@tesglobal.com