Perceptions of Confucius institutes from China and USA

In this presentation, we will present a comparative study of perceptions of China’s Confucius Institute between China and the United States of America. Plenty of interdisciplinary studies came along in both sides since the first establishment of Confucius Institute in 2004, discussing the impact of China’s soft power in the United States, however, never been examined in a comparative way. The complexity and controversy of Confucius Institute could provide scholars with a rich research agenda. We will begin with categorizing perceptions of Confucius Institutes first from the United States and then China, followed by a brief analysis of the core issues involved in the two sides. The presentation ends with a call for longitudinal in-depth case studies of Confucius Institutes and an academic dialogue between the scholars in Chinese and western universities. We suggest that future research of Confucius Institutes should give equal consideration on its teaching pedagogies, teacher training, language policy, as well as collaboration work with local universities in China and related overseas stakeholders.