$1 million awarded to Center for Chinese Studies' Confucius Institute

Conceptual renderings of the Model Confucius Institute renovation. Kevin Griffin renderings.

The Confucius Institute at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Center for Chinese Studies has been designated a “model” Confucius Institute by the People’s Republic of China Ministry of Education—an honor bestowed on only a handful of the nearly 500 Confucius Institutes in the world. This recognition comes with a one-time allocation of $1 million.

The funds will be used to renovate 6,000 square feet on the first-floor makai wing of Moore Hall into restored and modern classroom space, a new conference room, a reading room and staff offices. The renovated space will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology supporting courses related to Chinese language and culture.

Renovation is expected to take two years from planning to completion, with the new space scheduled for completion by fall 2017. Classrooms will be available for use by other campus departments.

“We are honored to learn of our selection as a Model Confucius Institute,” said R. Anderson Sutton, dean of the UH Mānoa School of Pacific and Asian Studies and assistant vice chancellor for International and Exchange Programs. “This recognition and the $1 million award will benefit our students pursuing degrees in Chinese studies, and will also benefit the community by enhancing Chinese community activities and learning-centered instruction in Hawaiʻi.”

The Confucius Institute supports instruction and research in Chinese language and disciplinary studies and offers a range of scholarship support to students interested in learning about and studying in China. There are approximately 500 Confucius Institutes in the world, of which 101 are in the U.S. and only one, on the UH Mānoa campus, located in Hawaiʻi.

The UH Mānoa Confucius Institute was established in November 2006 in collaboration with the elite Beijing Foreign Studies University. It is part of UH Mānoa’s Center for Chinese Studies, which offers more than 150 courses on China.

The Confucius Institute supports credit courses in university language departments and offers non-credit weekend language courses through the Outreach College, as well as community activities such as research seminars, academic symposia, distinguished speakers, film screenings, exhibitions, performance tours, school visitations and calligraphy and speech contests.

Moore Hall, at the intersection of Maile Way and East-West Road, is bordered by Hamilton Library, the Center for Korean Studies building and the East-West Center.

For more information, visit www.confuciusinstitutehawaii.org.