Columbian College will soon be home to the GW Confucius Institute to promote the study of Chinese language and culture, support Chinese teaching through instructional training and certification, and enable prosperous growth of research on China Studies. Named for the famed Chinese philosopher (551-479 BC), the institute will be one of 350 worldwide and the first to be established in Washington, D.C.
“We’re excited to offer this extensive global learning opportunity with our partners in China,” said Columbian College Dean Peg Barratt, who recently traveled to China to help put the partnership in place. “Our students, faculty, and the extended community—including government and business entities—will all benefit through this enhanced educational and cultural experience.”
The Confucius Institute Headquarters—overseen by the Office of Chinese Language Council International and affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education—provided GW with start-up funding to create the Confucius Institute and will provide 3,000 volumes of Chinese language books, teaching and audio-visual materials, as well as access to online courses. Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony later this year, the Institute’s planned launch is scheduled for fall 2013 in a renovated facility located on the university’s Foggy Bottom Campus.
The GW Confucius Institute will host a team of faculty members and graduate students from a university in China to teach and administer the Institute’s operations. GW is currently finalizing an agreement to establish this partnership with Nanjing University, one of the oldest, most prestigious and selective institutes of higher learning in China.