Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

US universities urged to shut Confucius Institutes
sigh er education.com ^ | May 2, 2017 | Elizabeth Redden

Posted on 02/13/2018 8:38:28 AM PST by ilovesarah2012

More than 100 American colleges and universities house Confucius Institutes, centres of Chinese language and cultural teaching funded and staffed in part with instructors screened by a Chinese government-affiliated entity known as Hanban.

The Confucius Institutes may seem to many to be benign outposts offering cultural events programming and non-credit courses in introductory Chinese, calligraphy or Tai Chi, but for nearly as long as the Confucius Institutes have been around – more than 10 years now – they’ve been controversial.

(Excerpt) Read more at timeshighereducation.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: california; china; confucius; confuciusinstitutes; hanban; prop209; proposition209
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-49 next last
I had never heard of this before today when Sen. Rubio brought it up at the Senate Intel Hearing.
1 posted on 02/13/2018 8:38:29 AM PST by ilovesarah2012
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: ilovesarah2012

Confucius is the greatest Chinese philosopher and his thought profoundly influenced culture and daily life in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Korea and Japan.

A school of humanistic ethics, it has no parallel in the West.


2 posted on 02/13/2018 8:44:42 AM PST by goldstategop ((In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Forever))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ilovesarah2012

Send them all home to China. Same with all of the Chinese students and make room for our American youth.


3 posted on 02/13/2018 8:50:04 AM PST by Reno89519 (Americans Are Dreamers, Too! No to Amnesty, Yes to Catch-and-Deport, and Yes to E-Verify.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Reno89519

Chinese tend to respectful, talented and happy.

They aren’t turning out hyper-sensitive, angry, self-absorbed snowflakes like we are.

If we are falling behind them, we need to take a look at what kind of country we are raising.

And the Yellow Peril? Isn’t that racist?


4 posted on 02/13/2018 8:54:13 AM PST by goldstategop ((In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Forever))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop

It’s not so much that it had no parallel in the West as that we’ve stopped teaching philosophy.


5 posted on 02/13/2018 8:54:14 AM PST by jdege
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ilovesarah2012

Everyone is always worried about “spies” but sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. I also find any academic’s claim about “academic freedom” highly self-serving, given that American universities are probably have the most fascist political environments we have in the USA.

The model for China’s Confucious institute are the German Goethe Institute, Alliance Francais or the British Council, all of whom run language and culture programs around the world. The Confucious institute

If one is worried about Chinese spies, or industrial espionage, it would make more sense to look at the Grad or phD candidates who take jobs in sensitive tech positions.


6 posted on 02/13/2018 8:54:16 AM PST by PGR88
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop

I think these Confucius Centers go beyond “humanistic ethics” influence.


7 posted on 02/13/2018 8:55:18 AM PST by ilovesarah2012
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ilovesarah2012
"known as Hanban." Sounds similar to "The idea of a contemporary Korean ruling class has an important basis in the historical stratification of Korean society, but the exact function of the historical connection is a topic of debate. Prior to the 20th century, the dynastic traditions of Confucianism and the historical legacy of the yangban shaped the Korean aristocracy." from wikipedia.

Anyway we don't teach American exceptionalism to prepare students for collage.

8 posted on 02/13/2018 8:56:12 AM PST by the_daug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Reno89519

I would go along with that.


9 posted on 02/13/2018 8:57:43 AM PST by Jean2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: PGR88

I think it is more “soft brainwashing”, making subtle acceptance of Chinese influence mainstream.


10 posted on 02/13/2018 8:57:56 AM PST by ilovesarah2012
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: ilovesarah2012

If we can’t compete intellectually with China, let’s just post a “Going Out Of Business” sign for America.

What are we really afraid of? Them or us?

Ideas matter most.


11 posted on 02/13/2018 8:58:01 AM PST by goldstategop ((In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Forever))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: ilovesarah2012

I am Confuced. We are all Confuced.

This stuff is being run through a Chinese government agency?

It isn’t even going to look like good Confucianism if so. Something that ought to be part of a philosophy department needs to be an independent part of that department. It would be like requiring all courses on Christianity to be run by the Vatican, or by the Billy Graham Institute, or whatever.

Yes, put the kibosh on this — not on the teaching of Confucian philosophy, which is something far, far older than Communist China, but on this Communist Chinese government outreach. Why did it take so long to become obvious?


12 posted on 02/13/2018 8:59:04 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Tryin' hard to win the No-Bull Prize.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: the_daug

American exceptionism is a mirror of gospel exceptionism, by historical arrangement.


13 posted on 02/13/2018 9:00:29 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Tryin' hard to win the No-Bull Prize.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: ilovesarah2012
“The way out is through the door. Why is it that no one will use this method?”

― Confucius
14 posted on 02/13/2018 9:01:32 AM PST by \/\/ayne (I regret that I have but one subscription cancellation notice to give to my local newspaper.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
What are we really afraid of? Them or us?

Yes. This.

Its ironic because US universities are already high on the scale of totalitarian thought control and uniformity of opinion.

15 posted on 02/13/2018 9:02:06 AM PST by PGR88
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop

Yup, ideas do.

At least China is making some use of its vaunted philosophy by name. Why can’t the USA talk about gospel? Well actually it can. It just shouldn’t be using its government to do that. This was ruled out by constitutional bargain. But what’s wrong with churches and their associated universities. Has the cat got their tongue?


16 posted on 02/13/2018 9:02:43 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Tryin' hard to win the No-Bull Prize.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: \/\/ayne

“I am the door.” — Jesus


17 posted on 02/13/2018 9:04:37 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Tryin' hard to win the No-Bull Prize.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
Chinese tend to respectful, talented and happy.

And unlike some other "cultures", they assimilate while maintaining respect for their roots.

18 posted on 02/13/2018 9:05:00 AM PST by JimRed ( TERM LIMITS, NOW! Build the Wall Faster! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop

Do you believe American universities are beacons of philosophical and political equality?


19 posted on 02/13/2018 9:08:34 AM PST by ilovesarah2012
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: PGR88

I have no doubt that there are many sleeper agents among the massive numbers of Chinese students in the west, and that “cultural” institutions such as these are a means at keeping an eye on them. I find that mainland Chinese people are reluctant to talk about politics even when they have been here for many years. They have to realize that what they do in the west can make its way back to the the Chicoms and impact on family members still behind the Red curtain.


20 posted on 02/13/2018 9:12:31 AM PST by littleharbour ("You take on the intel. community they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you" C. Schumer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-49 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson