The Confucius Institute at the U of M

The Confucius Institute at the University of Memphis will occupy the entire 11th floor of Wilder Tower beginning in early 2009. A statue of Confucius, designed by a local artist, will greet visitors to the Institute.

The Confucius Institute at the University of Memphis is closely affiliated with the University's new Asian Studies and International Trade program, whose aim is to provide students with the critical combination of skills that an increasing number of companies seek: international business knowledge, foreign language proficiency, cultural sensitivity and experience abroad. The program was created by an anonymous $1 million donation to the University.

The University of Memphis has long participated in educational exchanges with a number of universities in China, including Hubei University, its partner in the Confucius Institute.

A pilot institute was established in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in June 2004. The first Confucius Institute opened on November 21, 2004 in Seoul, Korea.

The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China estimates that, by the year 2010, there will be approximately 100 million people worldwide learning Chinese as a foreign language.