Leiden University to end agreement with Confucius Institute
Leiden University will not extend the present partnership agreement with the Institute, which comes to an end on 31 August 2019.
Leiden University has hosted a Confucius Institute since 2007. The Institute has organised many successful activities and events for students, schoolchildren and – via various cultural festivals – the general public. From its position within the University, the Confucius Institute has thus expanded the Dutch public’s knowledge and understanding of the language and culture of China, and contributed to cultural and educational exchange between China and the Netherlands.
While the University acknowledges the excellent work done by the Confucius Institute over the years, it will not be looking to extend the present partnership agreement with the Institute, which comes to an end on 31 August 2019. The Institute will continue its work as planned until then. The University has reached this decision because the Confucius Institute’s activities no longer align with the University’s China strategy and the direction this has taken in recent years. In this strategy, projects that are based on research at Leiden University and its partner institutions in China take priority.
Leiden University attaches great importance to the fruitful collaboration with its Chinese partners. The University now has research and teaching partnerships with over 20 universities and academic organisations in China, including Shandong University, the Chinese partner institution in the Confucius Institute. Leiden University looks forward to further strengthening its ties with Shandong University in the coming years.