Confucius Institutes In The US That Are Closing

Confucius Institutes in the US that Are ClosingRachelle Peterson, National Association of Scholars, peterson@nas.orgFebruary 2021Date ofInstitution State DecisionStated Reason for ClosingSourceOther Background InfoUniversity1 of Chicago ILIn April 2014, 108 faculty memberssigned a petition calling for theConfucius Institute to close. Hanbandirector-general Xu Lin challengedthe university to maintain itsThe university said that offensiveConfucius Institute, and a Chinesecomments from Xu Lin, directorpaper, the Jiefang Daily, praised Xugeneral of the Hanban, led thefor her “toughness” and croweduniversity to close its Confuciusthat “Her attitude made the otherInstitute: An official "Statement onside anxious. The school quicklythe Confucius Institute at theresponded that it will continue toUniversity of Chicago" said thatproperly manage the Confucius“recently published comments aboutInstitute.”UChicago in an article about eral of Hanban arehttps://news.uchicago.edu/article/2 m/2014/09/26/university-ofSeptember incompatible with a continued equal y-chicagoinstitute-sour/? r 0Pennsylvania State2 University PADean Susan Welch told Inside HigherEd that "several of our goals are notconsistent with those of the Office ofChinese Languages CouncilPenn State's decision came within aInternational, known as the Hanban, https://www.insidehighered.com/qu week of the University of Chicago'sSeptember which provides support to Confucius icktakes/2014/10/01/anotherdecision to close its Confucius2014Institutes throughout the world.”confucius-institute-closeInstitute.

Pfeiffer3 UniversityTulane4 UniversityNCMay 2016Moved to University of NorthCarolina at CharlotteLA2017No stated reasonEmail from Colleen KeithNAS phone call with the School ofLiberal Arts.Universityof IllinoisUrbana5 Champaign ILDaily Illini reported in March 2018that according to Interim UniversityProvost John Wilkin, "The institutewas shut down when the University’sSeptember funding was not substantial enough2017,to maintain it, but the University oring the opportunity to/03/university-confucius-instituteMarch 2018 reestablish the institute on campus." closed-months-fbi-monitoring/Universityof West6 FloridaFebruary 2018 Pensacola NewsJournal reported that according toGeorge Ellenberg, senior vicepresident and provost, a "lack ofstudent interest" led the universityto decide in fall 2017 not to renewthe contract when it expired in May2018. Ellenberg said, “WeFall 2017, determined that we weren’t reallyannounced getting adequate return in terms ofFebruarystudent interest and decided to2018discontinue iliated/312966002/One day before the universityannounced its decision, SenatorMarco Rubio sent a letter to allConfucius Institutes in Florida,urging them to close.

Texas A&M7 University TXPrairieView A&M8 University TXAugusta9 UniversityGAApril 2018Two Texas Representatives,Texas A&M University SystemRepublican Michael McCaul andChancellor John Shields cited a letterDemocrat Henry Cuellar, mailed afrom two Congressmen as the keyletter to all Texas Confuciusreason for the university system'shttps://www.dallasnews.com/news/ Institutes on March 23, 2018, urgingdecision: "They have access tohigherthem to close. The university'sclassified information we do noteducation/2018/04/05/congressmen- announcement came on April 5, thehave. We are terminating theurge-ut-dallas-texas-universities-cut- same day the Congressmen's lettercontract as they suggested."ties-chinas-confucius-institutewas reported on in the local press.April 2018Texas A&M University SystemChancellor John Shields cited a letterfrom two Congressmen as the keyreason for the university system'sdecision: "They have access toclassified information we do nothave. We are terminating thecontract as they suggested."June 2018"The basis for the nonrenewal was alack of interest from our faculty andstudents, and a decision to useUniversity resources towards morestrategic and productive endeavors." email from the office of thepresident.Two Texas Representatives,Republican Michael McCaul andDemocrat Henry Cuellar, mailed aletter to all Texas Confuciushttps://www.dallasnews.com/news/ Institutes on March 23, 2018, urginghigherthem to close. The university'seducation/2018/04/05/congressmen- announcement came on April 5, theurge-ut-dallas-texas-universities-cut- same day the Congressmen's letterties-chinas-confucius-institutewas reported on in the local press.

University10 of IowaUniversityof North11 FloridaIAFLJuly 2018The University of Iowa announced itsplans to close seven centers due tocuts in state funding. The contract forthe Confucius Institute will not berenewed upon its expiration on July31, tsAugust2018The University of North Floridaannounced its plans to close theConfucius Institute in six months(February 2019). A statement on theuniversity's website says, "Afterreviewing the classes, activities andevents sponsored over the past fouryears and comparing them with themission and goals of the University, itwas determined that they /ospreyupdate/submissions/2018-0814 UNFs Confucius Institute Closes.aspxIn February, Senator Marco Rubiosent a letter to all ConfuciusInstitutes in Florida, urging them toclose.

NorthCarolinaState12 UniversityNCNorth Carolina State Universityannounced it intends to close itsConfucius Institute in June 2019, aspart of a project to "restructure" itsAsia programming. A statement fromUniversity Communications on theuniversity's website says, "After June2019, NC State will no longer offeracademic and cultural programsthrough the Confucius Institute (CI).This transition is part of NC State’sefforts to create a morecomprehensive Asia strategy led bythe Office of Global Engagement, ofwhich Chinese language and culture https://news.ncsu.edu/2018/11/ncNovember programs will continue to play astate-will-restructure-asia2018significant role."programming-in-2019/

University13 of Michigan MIUniversityof South14 FloridaFLDecember2018James Holloway, vice provost forglobal engagement andinterdisciplinary academic affairs,said the university would bring moreof its China studies programs inhouse: “This transition is driven by adesire to more broadly include thework of exploring and studyingChinese visual and performing artswithin U-M’s regular academic andcultural units.” However, theuniversity announced that it remainsopen to working with the Hanban inother ways: "Meanwhile, U-M is incommunication with Hanban,exploring alternative ways to supportthe greater U-M community tohttps://record.umich.edu/articles/ucontinuously engage with Chinesem-end-agreement-confuciusartistic culture."institute-next-yearDecember2018USF cited the national securityconcerns that members of Congresshave raised, along with fallingstudent enrollment. Only 65 studentsenrolling in Confucius Instituteclasses in fall 2018.https://www.tampabay.com/breakin In February, Senator Marco Rubiog-news/usf-shutters-controversial- sent a letter to all itutes in Florida, urging them to20190102/close.

Universityof Rhode15 IslandPurdue16 UniversityRIINUniversityofMassachus17 etts Boston MADecember2018A spokeswoman told WPRI 12 thatthe university was concerned theConfucius Institute could jeopardizefederal funding to the titute 20181217234023/16636884812018"Purdue terminated its relationshipwith the Confucius Institute."Email from Kim Weldy, ExecutiveAssistant, Board of TrusteesJanuary2019Katherine Newman, the interimchancellor at UMass Boston, declinedto give a specific reason in aninterview with Boston'sIn March 2018, U.S. Rep. SethCommonwealth Magazine, but saidMoulton (D-MA) sent letters tothe university will pursue newUMass Boston and othernegotiations with Renmin Universityuniversities in Massachusetts, urgingof China to develop other ways tohttps://commonwealthmagazine.org them to close their Confuciuspromote Chinese language and/education/umass-boston-seversInstitutes or avoid opening newculture.ties-with-confucius-institute/ones.

UniversityofTennessee18 KnoxvilleTNJanuary2019Gretchen Neisler, vice provost forinternational affairs, said theuniversity will maintain a partnershipwith Southeast University in Chinabut close its Confucius Institute inspring 2019 in order to make its Asiaprograms more flexible. “Our globalefforts must be nimble; from thelanguages we teach to the researchopportunities we pursue, we have tostay relevant and keep an eye on thefuture. It’s easier for us to do that ifwe’re running our own program.”Tennessee State RepresentativeMartin Daniel has repeatedlycriticized the Confucius Institutes. InFebruary 2017 he sent threeTennessee universities a letterexpressing concern for China's"blatant disregard for human rights"and warning that ConfuciusInstitutes "avoid classes that covercontroversial subjects that theChinese Government has deemedinappropriate — such as student-leddemonstrations that resulted in theTiananmen Square /01/24/ut- -engagement-in-asia/government/98246406/

Universityof19 Minnesota MNUniversityof Texas San20 AntonioTXFebruary2019Meredith McQuaid, associate vicepresident and dean of internationalprograms, said the university wouldhave lost federal funding as a resultof the NDAA ban on Pentagonfunding to Confucius Institute-linkedprograms. McQuaid also said “TheChinese language teachingcommunity in greater Minnesota State Sen. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, senthas definitely grown and matureda letter to the Confucius Institutesover the last decade. Their needshttps://www.mndaily.com/article/20 at the University and St. Cloud Statehave evolved,” such that the CI is no 19/02/n-china-funded-institute-set- University in 2018 expressing hislonger needed.to-closeconcerns with the programsFebruary2019"When the current grant concludesthis summer, UTSA will use theopportunity to graduate its programsinto a more robust environment forstudents studying Eastern Asiancultures by integrating them into theUTSA East Asia Institute." - LisaMontoya, Vice Provost for s & Senior institute.html

University21 of Montana MTIndianaUniversityPurdue22 University INWesternKentucky23 UniversityKYAccording to The Missoulian, DeenaMansour, director of the MansfieldCenter where the Confucius Institutewas based, "Identifying alternatefunding sources will allow us thefreedom to assess the best way tosupport mutual relations betweenthe U.S. and China within thePriorities for Action framework,"referencing UM's plan to setMarch 2019 priorities.The Mansfield Center, where theConfucius Institute was located, alsoheld the Defense Critical Languageand Culture program funded by thehttps://missoulian.com/news/local/u U.S. Department of Defense--whichniversity-of-montana-shuttershas ceased funding programs atconfucius-institute/article 218eb6a5- universities that also have Confucius2c0e-56e9-a920-10fe4eec3a2f.html 1611e9-9136f8e636f1f6df story.html?noredirect on&utm term .43b5cbe638e0April 2019“This decision ensures ongoingoperations of some programs withinIU impacted by federal changessurrounding Chinese languageprograms,” university spokesmanChuck Carney told the WashingtonPost.April 2019"The decision to close the CI, whichhas operated at WKU since 2010,However, in July 2019, thecame when the University could notuniversity moved the Confuciussecure a waiver from theInstitute to Simpson County Schools.Department of Defense that would https://www.wku.edu/news/articles https://www.wku.edu/news/articlesallow WKU to operate both the CI/index.php?view article&articleid 7 /index.php?view article&articleid 7and the Chinese Flagship Program." 622814The 2019 NDAA forbade Pentagonfunding to universities withConfucius Institutes, unless theuniversity receives a waiver.