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• “The Confucius Institute at UB can help provide the resources that Western New York needs to understand China.”

  Kristin Stapleton

  Director, Asian Studies Program

By BRUCE ACKER

Published: October 15, 2009

Building on three decades of pioneering collaboration with educational institutions in China, UB was recently given the go-ahead to establish a Confucius Institute on campus. Part of a network of 250 Confucius Institutes worldwide, the Confucius Institute at UB is being created to promote the study of Chinese language and culture throughout Western New York.

The Confucius Institute will be a collaborative initiative involving UB’s Asian Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences; the Confucius Institute Headquarters, which will provide major funding for the program; and Capital Normal University in Beijing, one of UB’s long-time partner institutions in China. The institute will be governed by a board of directors chaired by Stephen Dunnett, vice provost for international education and a dedicated champion of student and faculty exchange with China. In addition to Dunnett, the board will consist of three members from Capital Normal University and three members representing UB.

“We are honored to be invited to host a Confucius Institute at UB,” Dunnett said. “It is fitting that UB host a Confucius Institute, since this initiative of the Chinese government has been developed and overseen by Dr. Zhou Ji, minister of education in China and a distinguished alumnus of UB.”

Bruce McCombe, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, foresees greater emphasis on Asian Studies at UB, given the central importance of Asia in the world today, as well as the number of UB students with Asian connections.

“The creation of a Confucius Institute in Buffalo is an important step in the continuing development of ties between UB’s College of Arts and Sciences and counterpart institutions in Asia,” McCombe noted.

Under the auspices of the Confucius Institute, UB will offer valuable services to Western New York students, the business community and others who want to study Mandarin Chinese or learn more about China. Plans include:

• Providing expert teachers from Capital Normal University to local school districts to help them establish or expand Chinese language programs.

• Offering Chinese language classes to the entire community, including business Chinese and cultural orientation for travelers, trade delegations and other groups.

• Organizing study tours and student exchange with China.

• Presenting Chinese language and culture camps at UB and at local schools and nonprofit organizations.

• Building up UB library holdings on China, including valuable research materials and curriculum resources.

• Promoting collaborative conferences and projects with partners from Capital Normal University and other Chinese institutions.

• Maintaining an online resource library with links to useful Chinese language tools, curriculum resources, and consular and other government sites.

Working with UB’s Graduate School of Education, the Confucius Institute also anticipates developing a New York State certification program for teachers of Chinese language, a critical need as an increasing number of schools in the region look to establish Chinese language programs.

Kristin Stapleton, director of the Asian Studies Program and associate professor of history, will serve as director of the Confucius Institute. Stapleton, who learned Chinese in college, noted that “Buffalo and many other school districts in our region have recognized the need to provide early instruction in Chinese, so that more Americans can learn this beautiful language and appreciate the history and culture of China. The Confucius Institute at UB can help provide the resources that Western New York needs to understand China.”

Initially, the offices of the Confucius Institute will be set up adjacent to the Asian Studies Program in Clemens Hall, North Campus. However, in order to better serve school districts and businesses from a central location, the Asian Studies Program plans to establish offices and classroom space in the new downtown gateway campus, with funding provided by the Confucius Institute Headquarters.

The Asian Studies Program expects to hire an executive director of the Confucius Institute in January and is planning a grand opening to be attended by public figures from Western New York and dignitaries from China in early April.