Who was Confucius?
Confucius (551 BCE – 479 BCE) used to be a Chinese philosopher, political thinker, and teacher. He is widely regarded as one of East Asia’s most prominent and influential figures. His timeless teachings, expressed through Confucianism, have sent ripples that are felt till this very day. Click here to discover some of his most acclaimed phrases.
What are Confucius Institutes?
Confucius Institutes (CIs) are part of a program made by the Chinese International Education Foundation (formerly the Hanban), their main goal is promoting the Chinese language & culture across the globe. These institutes are mainly located inside universities. Apart from language classes, they may host a variety of other activities such as taiji, calligraphy, and brush painting. If you want to sit the HSK test, they probably hold the exam and would be delighted to help you out.
Confucius Institutes Controversy
In the past few years, there has been much controversy revolving around CIs. Under the Trump administration, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated these institutes as a state-directed foreign mission tasked with pushing Beijing’s agenda. Moreover, federal government funding is being pulled from universities that choose to maintain ties with CI’s. Strong political and communal influences are also continuously being exhorted upon remaining ones.
Consequently, the number of Confucius Institutes inside American colleges & universities has seen a steady decline since reaching an all-time high of 103 in 2017. As of 2021, there are just a couple dozen left open, some of them on the verge of closing.
Whether the former information influences or not your desire to pursue Chinese studies is up to you. In my view, even though the events that caused the unfortunate unfolding are damaging and certainly detrimental to US-China relations, they are not as widespread as the media outlet pictures them. The main reason for establishments to end ties with their Chinese counterparts is economical and not political.
Don’t forget that China is still America’s third largest trading partner. Furthermore, being competent in Chinese will, in all likelihood, continue to be an invaluable asset in the labor marketplace.
Remaining Confucius Institutes in the United States
Wanting to study Chinese in the America but don’t know where? Don’t worry, we have carefully organized a list of all the remaining Confucius Institutes for your convenience.
The following list is ordered state by state in alphabetical order.
Alabama
Address: 1560 E Maple Rd., Unit 200, Troy, MI 48083
Atlanta
- Emory University (closing in November 2021)
Address: 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322
California
- San Diego State University (Chinese Cultural Center, formerly a Confucius Institute)
Address: 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182
Address: Knight Building, 521 Memorial Way, Stanford, CA 94305-2000
Georgia
Address: 4760 Forsyth Rd., Macon, GA 31210
Idaho
- Northwest Nazarene University (unclear status, website taken down)
Address: 623 S University Blvd., Nampa, ID 83686
Illinois
Address: 42 W. Madison Street, Chicago, IL 60602
Indiana
- Valparaiso University (closing March 2022)
Address: 756 Finch Ct., Valparaiso, IN 46383
Kentucky
Address: 2501 Crossings Blvd. Suite 301E, Bowling Green, KY 42104
Louisiana
Address: 1 Drexel Drive, New Orleans, LA 70125
Minnesota
Address: 720 4th Ave. S, St. Cloud, MN 56301
Missouri
Address: 470 East Lockwood Ave., St. Louis, MO 63119
New Jersey
Address: John F. Kennedy Blvd. 2039, Jersey City, NJ 07305
New York
- Alfred University – State University of New York
Address: 10 Park, Alfred, NY 14802
Address: 100 Washington Street, New York, NY 10006
- College of Optometry – State University of New York
Address: 33 W 42nd St., New York, NY 10036
- Global Center – State University of New York
Address: 116 East 55th St., New York, NY 10022
Address: 1650 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225
- University at Albany – State University of New York
Address: Humanities 254A, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222
- University at Buffalo – State University of New York (closing on the end of 2021)
Address: UB Commons, 520 Lee Entrance, Suite 113, Buffalo 14228, New York
Ohio
Address: 834 East High Ave., New Philadelphia, OH 44663
Address: Quaker Square, Suite 303, Akron, OH 44325
Address: Snyder Memorial Building, Toledo, OH 43606
Rhode Island
- Bryant University (closing, unsure date)
Address: 1150 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, RI 02917
South Carolina
Address: 503 South Broad Street, Clinton, SC 29325
Texas
Address: 4400 West 18th Street, Houston, TX 77092-8501
Utah
Address: 70 E 100 N, Farmington, UT 84025
Address: 351 W. University Blvd., Cedar City, UT 84720
Address: 215 S Central Campus Dr., Room 203, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Washington
Address: Harstad Hall, Offices 114 & 115, Tacoma, WA 98447-0003
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