The Confucius Institute (CI) at the University of Alaska Anchorage was established in collaboration with the Office of Chinese Language International Council (Hanban). Hanban is committed to making Chinese language and cultural teaching resources and services available to the public and to the promotion of cultural diversity and harmony.
Through academic partnership with China’s Northeast Normal University (NENU), the CI at UAA aims to strengthen educational and cultural cooperation between China and the United States. This partnership will serve to promote understanding of Chinese language and culture in the communities served by the university. Through courses, conferences and cultural events, the Institute will provide opportunities for cultural exchange and collaboration between the U.S. and China.
In 2006, Hanban sponsored its first Confucius Institute in the United States. UAA entered into an agreement with Hanban in November 2008. NENU assists the mission of the UAA CI by providing instructors for programs in Chinese language. Housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, the CI will help to better prepare students and the State of Alaska for a global future. It will serve as a bridge for Alaskans wishing to establish further connections of mutual benefit and education between the two countries, and in the long term, it is anticipated that it will become a leading Chinese cultural and language center, catering to lifelong learning at all levels, from primary to tertiary education and beyond.
Each Confucius Institute is free to develop its own range of programs and services depending on the local conditions. These include assistance in providing undergraduate instruction and curriculum development in Chinese language at UAA, offering non-credit courses in Chinese language and culture to the Anchorage community, presenting programs of speakers on aspects of Chinese culture and cultural performances, and assisting K-12 programs with curriculum and other resources to further the teaching of Chinese.
The UAA CI is working to provide a range of services to assist local business, schools and ordinary citizens to learn more about China and to facilitate interactions with China. These include tailored courses in Chinese business and protocol, media and translation services, and administering the HSK examination (Chinese language proficiency test) and certification of Chinese Language teachers. Also, through training, workshops and cultural events the CI will also facilitate cultural exchange and study-abroad opportunities in China for UAA students and faculty.
