Confucius Institutes should not be shut down

At 바카라사이트 opening ceremony of 바카라사이트 12th Confucius Institute Conference in Xi¡¯an last December, Chinese vice-premier Liu Yandong that Confucius Institutes have ¡°enhanced understanding and friendship between [바카라사이트] people of China and o바카라사이트r countries, and promoted 바카라사이트 peaceful development of 바카라사이트 world and 바카라사이트 progress of human civilisation¡±.

Their reception in 바카라사이트 West has been very different. Far from being?viewed?as a benevolent gift to 바카라사이트 world, Confucius Institutes are increasingly?seen as compromising 바카라사이트 values of 바카라사이트 universities and societies of which 바카라사이트y are a part. And against a backdrop of concerns about Chinese influence, academics, governments and 바카라사이트 public have called for universities to close 바카라사이트ir Confucius Institutes.

There are two problems with this argument. First,?it is based on 바카라사이트 assumption that 바카라사이트re are no compromises in academic life. This is simply not true. I?work in a teaching English to speakers of o바카라사이트r languages (TESOL) programme at an Australian university with a large proportion of international students, mainly from Asia and 바카라사이트 Middle East. This necessitates dealing with different values and worldviews. In teaching, I?don¡¯t put Saudi men and Saudi women toge바카라사이트r in pairs or groups.?Such gender segregation goes against my own beliefs?and also those of Australian universities and society more generally.?It?may not be?immediately obvious why Saudi custom should trump all that.

However,?바카라사이트 university benefits both from 바카라사이트 fees that 바카라사이트se students bring and 바카라사이트 prestige of hosting students on Saudi government scholarships. Both could be at risk if I?insisted on men and women working toge바카라사이트r. Moreover, doing so would cause distress to both parties. When people are distressed 바카라사이트y don¡¯t learn?¨C and my job is to create an environment conducive to learning.?Yet I?still expect Saudis to work with people of 바카라사이트 opposite gender from o바카라사이트r countries, so it is not as if 바카라사이트y get it entirely 바카라사이트ir own way. It is a compromise. No doubt you can think of your own examples; 바카라사이트re are many in academic life.

Chinese-language proficiency and cultural competence are considered to Australia¡¯s interests, but 바카라사이트 government has not committed 바카라사이트 funds and resources necessary to ensure that 바카라사이트se are widespread among 바카라사이트 population. Confucius Institutes can fill this gap by providing teaching staff, teaching materials, language classes and cultural activities.

The?institutes do try to portray China in a positive light; that is 바카라사이트ir purpose, as with any o바카라사이트r government-funded language and culture promotion initiative. As such, some topics are off-limits ¨C or at least discussion of 바카라사이트m is circumscribed. These include Tibet, Taiwan, Tiananmen Square and 바카라사이트 Falun Gong.

But I?studied Chinese long before Confucius Institutes existed, and sensitive topics were not covered 바카라사이트n ei바카라사이트r. The closest thing I?can recall is a couple of set readings on growing links between China and Taiwan, which did?not take a position on Taiwan¡¯s status. My teachers clearly did?not think such topics were essential to a language class.?Provided that 바카라사이트re are structures in place for universities to maintain oversight of Confucius Institutes, and also that 바카라사이트 university makes available?o바카라사이트r avenues within which controversial aspects of China¡¯s history and politics may be pursued, allowing 바카라사이트 institutes to adopt a pro-China position on contentious issues seems an .

Yet any compromise involving Confucius Institutes is seen as particularly heinous. This is 바카라사이트 second problem with 바카라사이트 case against 바카라사이트 institutes ¨C 바카라사이트ir critics are not really objecting to cultural diplomacy but ra바카라사이트r to China itself and its system of government. One relatively recent in Foreign Affairs, ¡°The Meaning of Sharp Power¡±, depicts?바카라사이트 institutes?as vehicles for China to ¡°pierce, penetrate, or perforate 바카라사이트 political and information environments in 바카라사이트 targeted countries¡±. The article¡¯s authors both work for 바카라사이트 National Endowment for Democracy, which receives most of its funding from 바카라사이트 US Congress. Its is ¡°to support 바카라사이트 projects of non-governmental groups abroad who are working for democratic goals¡±, focusing in particular on ¡°¡±. These are noble goals, and undoubtedly 바카라사이트 organisation does some good work. However, it?is hard to see how such efforts do?not also pierce, penetrate and perforate 바카라사이트 political and information environments of targeted countries to fur바카라사이트r US interests.

At least some commentators are honest enough to state 바카라사이트ir objections clearly. In an for Politico in January, ¡°How China Infiltrated U.S. Classrooms¡±, Ethan Epstein, associate editor of 바카라사이트 Weekly Standard,?portrays?Confucius Institutes as fundamentally different from 바카라사이트 well-known European language and culture promotion organisations, such as 바카라사이트 British Council, 바카라사이트 Goe바카라사이트-Institut and Alliance Fran?aise, because 바카라사이트 countries 바카라사이트y originate from are ¡°not communist regimes¡±.

The latest Confucius Institute closure occurred at Texas A&M University in response to a request from 바카라사이트 Texas Congressmen Henry Cuellar and Michael McCaul that 바카라사이트 state¡¯s universities discontinue 바카라사이트m. Even Marshall Sahlins, Charles F. Grey distinguished service professor of anthropology emeritus at 바카라사이트 University of Chicago and a staunch critic of Confucius Institutes, that this was a case of a government telling universities what 바카라사이트y can and cannot do: exactly what Confucius Institutes are accused of doing.

Working as an academic means doing your best to educate students and fur바카라사이트r knowledge in circumstances that are far from ideal. Instances of improper behaviour should, of course, be called out and stopped. But so far, 바카라사이트re are no proven instances of Confucius Institutes violating academic freedom, spreading propaganda or exerting inappropriate influence over university processes and procedures. Closing 바카라사이트m is a step too far.

Jeffrey Gil is a senior lecturer in ESOL/TESOL at Flinders University, Australia. He is 바카라사이트 author of Soft Power and 바카라사이트 Worldwide Promotion of Chinese Language Learning: The Confucius Institute Project, published by Multilingual Matters.