KU Connection - December 2007 - Confucius Institute ranks in world's top 20

Click the text link to see a calendar or other information concerning upcoming KU-related events.

Dec. 13, 1907: In a harbinger of winning seasons to come, the Jayhawks play their first game under Coach Forrest “Phog” Allen, as well as their first game in Robinson Gymnasium, and whip the Ottawa University basketball squad by 44 points.
Read more dates for This Week in KU History

KU has one of the richest collegiate debate traditions in the nation. The program ranks fourth in the number of National Debate Tournament national championships and third in final four appearances, and it has qualified for the tournament in 40 consecutive years. No other public university ranks as high in any of those categories.

Home

E-mail this article

Confucius Institute ranks in world's top 20

The KU Confucius Institute recently was honored in China as a 2007 Confucius Institute of the Year, one of only four institutes in the United States and 20 worldwide to receive the designation.

William M. Tsutsui, executive director of the Confucius Institute at KU, was one of five officials from the 210 institutes around the world—and the only U.S. citizen—invited to address the opening ceremony of the second Confucius Institute Conference in the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The award was given by State Councilor Chen Zhili, Minister of Education Zhou Ji and Hanban Director General Xu Lin, who oversees the development of Confucius Institutes worldwide.

“All of us at the Confucius Institute are very proud that our programs in Chinese language and culture have been recognized as truly world class,” Tsutsui said. “As interest in China continues to increase in Kansas and greater Kansas City, we look forward in the months ahead to further growth and expanded opportunities to serve schools, businesses and communities.”

Other addresses were delivered by speakers from Great Britain, Cameroon, Japan and Australia.

“This is an extraordinary and deserved honor for our institute and Bill. He and his staff have done impressive work,” said KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway. “Our Confucius Institute reflects the strength of KU’s connection to China as well as our superb and extensive Chinese and East Asian programs. It also gives Kansas and the region a competitive advantage in doing business with China as it becomes a leading economic force in the world.”

KU’s Confucius Institute was the fifth such institute to open in the United States when it was dedicated in May 2006. The first four were located in Washington, D.C., Chicago, New York and San Francisco. There are now 38 institutes in the United States.

The institute serves communities, businesses, schools, government, nonprofit organizations and the media throughout the region by offering community-based Chinese language instruction, supporting the training and professional development of Chinese language teachers and promoting outreach programs on Chinese culture. It is a cooperative project of KU, the Office of Chinese Language Council International of the Chinese Ministry of Education and Huazhong Normal University.

The accomplishments of KU’s Confucius Institute range from well-attended community language classes to corporate partnerships to distance-learning courses in Chinese for school districts throughout the state. The institute also has an ongoing partnership with global engineering firm Black & Veatch to provide seminars on Chinese language and business culture for executives and engineers.