The Confucius Institute: New partnerships in China
Issued: Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:57:00 BST
China has the second biggest economy in the world and it continues to grow rapidly. It will clearly have an enormous impact on the international and UK economy and society in the future.
Jane Duckett, Professor of Chinese & Comparative Politics at Glasgow said: "Our aim is to increase understanding of China, its fascinating language, and its rich culture.
"China is playing an ever more important role in the world. Within the next decade or so, it will be the world's biggest economy and it will become an increasingly important trading partner and investor for Scotland and the UK. It is therefore essential to Scotland's future economic success that we understand China in all its diversity and are able to communicate with its people."
Researchers across the University of Glasgow are building partnerships with colleagues in China. Nankai University, located in the vibrant northern port city of Tianjin, is one of China's top universities and the University of Glasgow's strategic partner there.
The two universities have long-standing research collaborations in the social sciences, and growing links in disciplines from chemistry through museum studies, urban studies and business. Visitors on this trip span the disciplines of art history, chemistry, linguistics, political science. These research are further boosted by the launch of Confucius Institute at the University of Glasgow in partnership with Nankai and the Chinese Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban).
The Confucius Institute is strongly founded on research on China across the University of Glasgow in the social sciences, arts, and business. Its activities, delivered through the Scottish Centre for Chinese Social Science Research, 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 contributes 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 an important source of support for that engagement across education, the arts and business.
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