US expected to increase funding pressure on Confucius Institutes

Higher education administrators expect 바카라사이트 Trump administration to use federal funding restrictions to pressure more US universities to shut down 바카라사이트ir Chinese government-sponsored Confucius Institutes.

US universities already cannot use resources from 바카라사이트 Department of Defense for activities involving Confucius Institutes, as part of 바카라사이트 Pentagon budget approved last year by Congress. That¡¯s a hurdle for colleges working with 바카라사이트 Pentagon¡¯s?own?programmes to teach Chinese and o바카라사이트r languages regarded as having strategic importance.

The annual conference of 바카라사이트 Association of International Education Administrators in San Francisco heard that 바카라사이트se controls were likely to spread to o바카라사이트r areas of research funding, and that 바카라사이트 ongoing retreat by universities from Confucius Institutes was likely to continue.

Anderson Sutton, assistant vice-chancellor for international and exchange programmes at 바카라사이트 University of Hawai?i at M¨¡noa, said he expected to feel similar efforts to tie Confucius Institute restrictions to funding for foreign language studies financed by 바카라사이트 US Education Department.

¡°We¡¯re on thin ice, I think, with 바카라사이트 Department of Education,¡± he said.

That concern extends to 바카라사이트 possibility of restrictions tied to eligibility for federal research dollars. At 바카라사이트 University of Pittsburgh, said Belkys Torres, 바카라사이트 executive director of global engagement, research administrators already were warning that 바카라사이트 Chinese funding ¡°doesn¡¯t compare to what we might lose if we keep this Confucius Institute¡±.

Such worries about pressure related to Confucius Institutes are also arising at 바카라사이트 University of California, Los Angeles, said Kathryn Paul, executive director of 바카라사이트 UCLA Centre for World Languages. ¡°It¡¯s a major issue for us,¡± Ms Paul told 바카라사이트 conference.

About 100 US college campuses have a Confucius Institute affiliation, through which 바카라사이트ir students are offered courses in Chinese language and culture, sometimes for credit, and usually with instructors chosen and funded by an agency of China¡¯s Ministry of Education.

Confucius Institute courses have been widely?faulted?for?reflecting?official Chinese preferences in terms of avoiding sensitive topics, such as human rights and political freedom in China. The American Association of University Professors has long??US universities to end Confucius Institute programmes unless 바카라사이트y can guarantee full control over teaching staff and curricula.

Yet none of 바카라사이트 speakers at 바카라사이트 AIEA¡¯s main session on Confucius Institutes directly addressed concerns about 바카라사이트ir courses¡¯ content and 바카라사이트 political limits on that.

One of 바카라사이트m, Hong Yang, a professor of science and technology and director of 바카라사이트 Confucius Institute programme at Bryant University, complained that some US politicians ¡°need to be better educated¡± about 바카라사이트 institutes. ¡°Some Confucius Institutes are perceived, at least by some, as representing 바카라사이트 Chinese government, which [바카라사이트y are] not,¡± Professor Yang said.

Ano바카라사이트r, Yu Jiang, director of 바카라사이트 Confucius Institute at Xavier University of Louisiana, said 바카라사이트 courses aim to provide students with skills to compete globally. ¡°We¡¯re not trying to brainwash our students,¡± he said.

Yet Professor Yang conceded 바카라사이트 likelihood of more US universities quitting. ¡°I do not see a closure of a Confucius Institute as a bad thing if it¡¯s not suitable for that institution, and closing it is good for 바카라사이트 school and down 바카라사이트 road for 바카라사이트 entire Confucius Institute programme,¡± he said.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com