About us

The Confucius Institute at the University of Glasgow is a partnership with Nankai University supported by the Chinese Ministry of Education’s Office for Chinese Language (Hanban). It builds on long-standing research collaborations between the two universities and is strongly founded on research on China across the University of Glasgow in the social sciences, arts, and business, in particular through the Scottish Centre for Chinese Social Science Research.

The Confucius Institute’s activities centre on the provision of Chinese language classes, promoting understanding of China and its culture through a range of lectures and other events, and providing training and other support for businesses and for schools. Its distinctive focus is on understanding contemporary Chinese society and culture, promoting understanding between young people in Scotland and China, and supporting links between the cities of Glasgow and Tianjin. The Confucius Institute will make a significant contribution to the Scottish Government’s China Plan through support for Confucius Classroom hubs and for Sino-Scottish business links. It is a symbol of Glasgow’s and the West of Scotland’s engagement with China and will be an important source of support for that engagement across education, the arts and business.