Confucius Institute is a non-profit public institute which aims at promoting Chinese language and culture and supporting local Chinese teaching internationally through affiliated Confucius Institutes. Its headquarters is in Beijing and is under the office of Chinese Language Council International or Hanban.
The Confucius Institute at Bulacan State University
The Office of Chinese Language Council International signed an agreement with Bulacan State University on June 22, 2007 to jointly established a Confucius Institute. The Institute was formally launched on February 28, 2009 with the Northwest University in Xi'an, China that serves as the Chinese partner of the Confucius Institute.
The formal launching was witnessed by the board of directors, namely, Dr. Mariano de Jesus, the President of Bulacan State University; Dr. Alex Lee, Chairman of Lifelong Education Organization, Hongkong; Dr. Cecilia A. Geronimo, Vice President for External Affairs, Bulacan State University; Dr. Danilo Hilario, Vice President for Research, Planning and Extension, Bulacan State University; and Ms. Gao Hailing, Director of Confucius Institute, Chinese Counterpart.
Other officials from China also joined the celebration of the grand opening of the Confucius Institute, namely, Prof. Qiao Xue Guang, President of Northwest University; Prof. Pang Yong Hong, Dean of Art School in Northwest University; Mr. Lei Zhong Peng, Director of President's Office of the Northwest University; Mr. Guo Hong Yi, representative of Shaanx Education Commission; Ms. Zhang Yi, Section Chief of Foreign Students Affairs Office of the Northwest University; Mr. Deng Xi Jun, Charged Affairs of Chinese Embassy and Mr. Chen Yong Shan, Cultural Counsellor of Chinese Embassy.
The Northwest University
Northwest University has its origin in Shaanxi College founded in 1902, and assumed its present name in 1912. It was renamed National Northwest University in 1923, and called National Xi’an Provisional University after the merger with National Beiping University, Beiping Normal University, Beiyang College of Engineering and other institutions, which moved inland to Shaanxi when the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out in 1937. The Provisional University was subsequently named National Northwest Associated University in 1938, and National Northwest University in 1939.
Today, the University, located in the famous ancient Chinese capital Xi’an, has 3 campuses with a total area of 370 acres, and 25 schools and departments offering 71 undergraduate programs. It is one of the first institutions empowered to set up doctoral, postdoctoral and master’s programs, to approve the promotion to professorship, and to select Ph. D. supervisors. To date the University has established 84 doctoral programs (of which10 belong to the first-category disciplines), 152 Master’s programs (including special programs like MBA, MPA and Master of Engineering) and 13 postdoctoral programs. The University also boasts 7 national bases for talent training, one national education base for cultural education of college students, 3 national key disciplines, 39 provincial key disciplines, one national engineering and technology center, 25 ministerial or provincial key labs and engineering and technology research centers. |