The Confucius Institute for Scotland

The Confucius Institute for Scotland in the University of Edinburgh is a national centre to promote educational, economic, and cultural ties between Scotland and China. Set up with Sino-Scottish Government backing and partnered with Fudan University in Shanghai, the centre was established under an initiative taken by Hanban – the Chinese Government department responsible for promotion of Chinese language overseas. Objectives The Confucius Institute for Scotland is one of more than 450 Confucius Institutes around the world. The principal remit for Confucius Institutes is the promotion and development of Chinese language and culture. Each institute determines its own programme of activity based on market conditions. The key objectives for the Confucius Institute for Scotland are: to help develop effective Sino-Scottish business, cultural and academic links to offer an extensive programme of Chinese language training to act as a bridge between Scotland and China, aiding understanding and facilitating engagement to be a major point of reference for Sino-Scottish relations in the areas of education, business and culture to work with other stakeholders to develop greater awareness of China in Scotland The Confucius Institute for Scotland also builds on existing links within the University of Edinburgh to various academic and cultural institutions in China. Its aims are to strengthen and expand these cultural and academic interactions as well as to explore and build new possibilities for exchange and collaboration.