To inquire about Confucius Institutes in Asia and Africa, please reach the Confucius Institute Affairs Division I at 86-010-58595942.
To inquire about Confucius Institutes in America and Oceania, please reach the Confucius Institute Affairs Division II at86-010-58595703.
To inquire about Confucius Institutes in Europe, please reach the Confucius Institute Affairs Division III at86-010-58595701
The Tenure of the Chinese director of Confucius Institute is four years, including a one year probation period. Chinese directors needing to terminate tenure in advance shall submit a written application six months before leaving office. The Chinese school will explain the issue and send a written report to the Confucius Institute Headquarters for review and approval.
Chinese directors of Confucius Institute should be recommended by Chinese partner schools or (provincial or municipal) education department (commission). This position requires the following eligibilities: the nominee should be aged between 35 and 55 and in healthy condition; the nominee should hold a title of associate professor or beyond; the nominee should have administration experience for at least one year; the nominee should have overseas study or working experience; the nominee must be passionate about Chinese language teaching and Confucius Institute undertakings; the nominee must abide by laws and regulations in China and the destination country; the nominee should have a full understanding of the destination country and proficiency in English or the local language; the nominee should have proficiency in computer science and internet, be familiar with office software, and multi-media technology; the nominee should be familiar with Chinese language teaching; and the nominee must be a qualified leader with cross-cultural communication skills and be efficient at executive tasks.
As China’s economy and exchanges with the world have seen rapid growth, there has also been a sharp increase in the world’s demands for Chinese learning. Benefiting from the UK, France, Germany and Spain’s experience in promoting their national languages, China began its own exploration through establishing non-profit public institutions which aim to promote Chinese language and culture in foreign countries in 2004: these were given the name the Confucius Institute.
Over recent years, the Confucius Institutes’ development has been sharp and they have provided scope for people all over the world to learn about Chinese language and culture. In addition they have become a platform for cultural exchanges between China and the world as well as a bridge reinforcing friendship and cooperation between China and the rest of the world and are much welcomed across the globe.
According to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Confucius Institutes, the function of Confucius Institutes as non-profit educational institutions is to enhance understanding of Chinese language and culture among foreigners, develop friendly relations between China and other countries, foster the development of multiculturalism and contribute to the building of a harmonious world.
The Functions of the Confucius Institute are as follows:
1.Offer Chinese teaching programs to people from all walks of life;
2.Offer Chinese teachers training programs;
3.Organize all kinds of Chinese proficiency tests and Chinese teachers qualification authentication;
4.Provide information and consultation services about Chinese education, culture and economy;
5.Develop study programs about modern China.
In the Period of 2009, Confucius Institutes around the world have opened over 9,000 Chinese programs with a total enrollment of 260,000 people, a 130,000 up in enrollment compared with the previous year. In addition, they have also launched more than 7,500 cultural exchange activities involved a total participation of over 3 million people, doubled the figure of the corresponding period in the previous year.
Through the joint efforts of China and the Confucius Institute host countries in addition to the enthusiasm and active support of people all over the world, by the end of 2009, there have been 282 Confucius Institutes and 272 Confucius Classrooms established in 88 countries. In addition, some 250 institutions from over 50 countries have expressed requirements for establishing Confucius Institutes/Classrooms, amongst them some of the world’s top universities.
Since the world’s first Confucius Institute was founded, we have conformed to a Chinese-foreign cooperative pattern in establishing Confucius Institutes and strictly follow the regulations in the Constitution and By-Laws of the Confucius Institutes. The application procedures are as follows: a foreign institute shall firstly submit a voluntary application, and then the two parties, Hanban and the foreign institute, sign a cooperative agreement on the basis of equal consultation. Confucius Institutes implement an administrative system in which the directors of the Confucius Institutes have overall responsibilities under the leadership of the Council of Confucius Institutes; the Council of Confucius Institutes consists of council members from both Chinese and foreign parties. The two parties have equal responsibilities in raising operation funds.
Throughout the process of the establishment and development of Confucius Institutes, we adhere to the principle of the foreign party taking precedence whilst the Chinese party plays the role of providing assistance; meanwhile we request the active support and involvement of local government administrations and all sectors of the society. Currently, there are five cooperative models in establishing Confucius Institutes:
1.A partnership between a Chinese university and a foreign university;
2.A partnership between a Chinese secondary school and a foreign secondary school;
3.A partnership between a foreign nongovernmental organization and a Chinese university;
4.A partnership between a foreign government and the Chinese government;
5.A partnership between an enterprise and a university.
Please visit the Confucius Institute Operations column in the Confucius Institute subordinate page on our website to get specific information.
Confucius Institute Headquarters administrate and guide Confucius Institutes around the world, its specific obligations are as follows:
To make development plans and set down establishment and evaluation criterion for Confucius Institutes;
To examine, approve and establish Confucius Institutes;
To examine and approve annual project proposals, budgets and financial statements of Confucius Institutes worldwide;
To guide and evaluate the teaching activities and to control the quality of the operation of Confucius Institutes;
To provide Confucius Institutes around the world with the support and services of teaching resources;
To select and dispatch Chinese directors and teaching staff to Confucius Institutes, to offer training programs for the management teams and teachers of Confucius Institutes;
To organize annual Confucius Institute conference.
The Confucius Institute Headquarters is located in Beijing, our address is: No. 129 Deshengmenwai Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China
The Confucius Classroom is a non-profit educational organization. The council of the Confucius Classroom consisted of executive bodies of both the Chinese and foreign parties of the Classroom, administrates the Confucius Classroom.
The Confucius Classroom’s activities are as follows:
1、Develop Chinese teaching and cultural activities and other competitions relevant to Chinese language and culture;
2、Provide local primary and middle school teachers with training programs;
3、Organize Summer (Winter) Camp Programs in China for local primary and middle school students;
4、Compile Chinese language and cultural teaching materials;
Through the joint efforts of China and the Confucius Institute host countries in addition to the enthusiasm and active support of people all over the world, by the end of 2009, 272 Confucius Classrooms established in 88 countries.
Please visit the “Confucius Institute Operations” column in the “Confucius Institute” channel to get more information.
Teachers who have passed the screening process organized by Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) can attend the training session. But whether you will be dispatched afterwards depends on the following 2 criteria:
(1) Certificate issuance is based upon attendance, classroom performance, and test results. Those who fail will be disqualified for offers or roster listing.
(2) Disptach will be subject to whether the Confucius Institute(Classroom) or foreign educational institution has agreed to receive the applicant. Only those who receive the official dispatch letter will be sent abroad.
Accommodations and training materials will be provided by Hanban; travel expenses will be paid by trainee’ work institutions or departments.
The overview of the development of Confucius Institutes and global Chinese language teaching,Chinese language teaching methodologies, teaching activity coordination and classroom management,Chinese culture communication, cross-cultural communication, Chinese language teaching materials, Chinese tests introduction, and safety training.
Trainee teachers will be informed of dates and locations via phone calls and e-mails by training institutions. Please keep your mobile phone and e-mail available.
Information on formalities for going abroad, overseas work benefits, extention of tenure, appraisals, vacations. Questions regarding the termination of tenure and return to home country will be explained during the pre-service training. Relevant materials will be available.
In 2006, the test forQualification Certificate of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Languages was suspended. The Regulations for the Certification of Competency to Teach Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages is currently in the formulation phase, and pilot tests and certification are given to certain dispatched Chinese language teachers and staff. Please visit Hanban’s official website for the latest news. Confucius Institute Headquarters(Hanban) does not authorize any organization or school to administer tests, training, or issue certificates. Any relative tests or certificates are not officially endorsed by Hanban.
All applicants are required to sit for a screening test organized by Hanban. The test includes a written test and an interview. Paper test includes: basics in Chinese language teaching, Chinese language teaching methodology, teaching activity coordination and classroom management, Chinese culture and cross-cultural communication, professional ethics and professional development, etc.The interview includes: professional knowledge, teaching skills, cross-cultural competence, foreign language competence, and psychological evaluation.
Required qualifications: Bachelor degree or above in Chinese language teaching, Chinese literature, foreign languages, pedagogy, psychology, history, culture, sports or arts; a minimum of two years of professional teaching experience in primary, secondary or tertiary educational institutions; experienced in Chinese language teaching as a second language or overseas working experiences are preferred.
Current part-time teachers with experience of volunteering abroad as Chinese language teachers; competent in Chinese language teaching,Chinese culture promotion, and cross-cultural communications; Putonghua test, level II, Grade Aor above; fluent in English or the language used in the target country; applicants shall be aged less than 55 years old (55 included); be in sound physical condition; and have ability to adapt quickly and work under pressure.
Please refer to the Notice on Settlement Policy for College Graduates who Complete Overseas Tenure as Volunteer Chinese Teacher [No. 3, 2012 by Department for Teaching and Learning] issued by the Ministry of Education, PRC.
According to different country and region, the volunteer teacher may receive a monthly allowance ranging from USD 800 to USD 1000, plus international round-trip travel expenses, accommodation, and personal accident insurance and medicare.
Volunteer tenure lasts one year on average and three years maximum. Upon completing the tenure, volunteers shall return to China as previously agreed. Volunteers applying to extend tenure are required to submit the Application Form for Extending Tenure and Annual Evaluation Form three months in advance. The applicant may extend the tenure once receiving approval from the host school/institution, the dispatching organization, the relevant Chinese embassy, and Hanban.
Applicants may apply and take screening tests organized by the institution at which they work. Hanban administers tests on the basis of project requirements. Tests may cover general capabilities, a foreign language spoken test, and a written psychometric test. The general capability test will evaluate Chinese language teaching ability, cross-cultural communication ability, adaptability, and traditional Chinese talent.
Applicants may refer to specific project information to decide when to apply. Hanban releases recruitment notices six months prior to the date of departure. Please pay attention to recruitment notices released by Hanban or institutions, and submit timely applications.
Volunteer Chinese language teachers are selected from college graduates, post-graduate students, and current teachers. Basic eligibility requirements: Putonghua Level II, Grade A or above; English competence: CET Band 6 or above; aged between 22 and50. Specific requirements are prescribed by certain countries or projects. Hanban authorizes provincial education departments, municipal education commissions, and higher education institutions or their equivalents to recruit volunteers. Applicants may apply to their institutions or organizations. Individual application is not accepted by Hanban.
If you are a domestic buyer,please contact Huatu Bookstore through website at: www.huatuchinese.com, or call: 86-010-82300689, 82300227.
If you are an overseas buyer, please contact our overseas representative offices for North America, Europe, Oceania, Southeast Asia, or Thailand. The contact information is as follows:
Hanban’s North American representative office in Vancouver, Canada, please call 001-604-3122898
Hanban’s European representative office in London, U.K., please call 0044-20-73888818
Hanban’s European representative office in Spain, please call 0034-91-3575941
Hanban’s Oceania representative office in Melbourne, Australia, please call 0061-398933718
Hanban’s Southeast Asian representative office in Singapore, please call 0065-64519928
Hanban’s representative office in Thailand, please call 0066-22478518
For publishing houses to apply the certification logo of Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) for publishing new textbooks, please mail an application letter together with two book samples to the Division of Teaching Materials. The address is:Building No. 129, Deshengmenwai Street, Xicheng District, Beijing100088, China. Samples will be reviewed by Hanban experts. Logos cannot be used without approval by Hanban.
Hanban donates books to all Confucius Institutes (Classrooms). For other overseas educational institutions, please contact the local Chineseembassy or consulate. Please visit the official website of Hanban at www.hanban.org for more information.
Hanban updates the donation book catalogue regularly. Please visit the official website of Hanban at www.hanban.org and click on Teaching Resources for more information.
You may cancel your registration or re-register for alternative test levels before you pay the registration fee. Test levels may not be changed after payment.
Before the registration deadline, please visit www.chinesetest.cn, enter your username and password, log into the Personal Information Center and modify your registration information at Test Record Information page. Information updates are limited to personal information.Test level, time and location cannot be modified. Should the deadline have passed, please contact the test center to modify your registration information.
Please visit the Download page at www.chinesetest.cn. You can download HSK test guidelines and Sample materials.
Please visit www.chinesetest.cn and enter your username and password. Log in and print your Admission Ticket from the Personal InformationCenter page. You may also collect your Admission Ticket at test centers.
If online banking service is available at the chosen test center, please pay online at www.chinesetest.cn. If not, please deliveryour payment to the test center before the registration deadline.
Please visit www.chinesetest.cnif you wish to request additional copies of a score report. Fees will be charged for each additional copy.
45 days after taking the test, the score report will be delivered to the test center where you took the test. Please collect itby showing your Admission Ticket at the center.
30 days after completing the test, you may visit www.chinesetest.cn and enter your name and test ID number to retrieve your test results. Please make sure the information entered is in accordance with the information on your Admission Ticket.
Please visit the Global Test Centers page at www.chinesetest.cn for test descriptions, test center information and options of when and where to take tests. Two options are available: paper test or online test.
Please visithttp://cis.chinese.cn for partner school list.
The official website of Confucius Institute Scholarship is: http://cis.chinese.cn
The e-mail address for scholarship inquiries is: scholarships@hanban.org
And fax number is: +86-10-58595937
Confucius Institute Scholarships cover tuition, accommodation fees, living allowance and comprehensive medical insurance for foreign students studying in China.
Eligible applicants shall be non-Chinese citizens in good health, aged between 16 and 35 (Chinese language teachers in post shall be aged below 45, and applicants for BTCSOL scholarship should be aged below 20). Confucius Institute Scholarships is divided into the following categories: Scholarship for Students of Master’s Degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (MTCSOL), Scholarship for Students of One-Academic-Year Study + MTCSOL, Scholarship for Students of Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (BTCSOL), Scholarship for One-Academic-Year Study Students, Scholarship for One-Semester Study Students, andScholarship for Four-Week Study Students. The application starts in February every year, and the deadline is generally set in mid-May. The list of admitted applicants is released in mid-June, and the study programs start in September.
●US: apply through the College Board website. Please contact the program coordinator Ms. Liu Yun, Tel: 86-10-58595972, E-mail: liuyun@hanban.org.
●UK: The British Council and Confucius Institute for Scottish Schools periodically issue programs and accept applications. Please contact the program coordinator Ms. Zhao Jiajia, Tel: 86-10-58595964, E-mail: zhaojiajia@hanban.org.
●Others: Apply through the Chinese embassies/consulates. Please contact the program coordinator Ms. Zhao Jiajia, Tel: 86-10-58595964, E-mail: zhaojiajia@hanban.org.
1) A head of an educational department at a state/county or school district level, a primary or secondary school principal, a president of a university, or other decision makers of Chinese language programs;
2)Committed to establishing or developing new Chinese language and culture programs at the school or in the school district and have not previously participated in the same project;
3)All delegates must have valid passports, valid for at least 6 months after the departure date;
4)Under 65 years of age, healthy and fit for long distance travel.
“Chinese Bridge” Delegation for foreign principals is a cooperative project aiming at the foreign principals and educators who have already established the Chinese program at their schools, or those who are thinking of opening the Chinese program, enhancing their understanding of the Chinese educational system, promoting the school cooperation and advancing the development of Chinese education overseas. The trip is generally a week long. Delegates visit local schools in Beijing and other provinces/cities to exchange ideas with the Chinese teachers and students and establish partnerships with the schools.
●For College Students Competition: college students with foreign nationalities, aged between 18 and 30, overseas-born and grow, first language is not Chinese. Please contact the program coordinator Mr. Wang Kuan, Tel: 86-10-58595973, E-mail: wangkuan@hanban.org.
●For Secondary School Students Competition: secondary school students with foreign nationalities, aged between 15 and 20, overseas-born and grow, first language is not Chinese. Please contact the program coordinator Ms. Du Han, Tel: 86-10-58595836, E-mail: duhan@hanban.org.
●For Foreigners Competition: foreigners with foreign nationalities, aged between 10 and 65, overseas-born and grow, first language is not Chinese. Please contact the program coordinator Ms. Huang Kaidi, Tel:86-10-58595970, E-mail: huangkaidi@hanban.org.
●“Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students: overseas preliminary rounds will be holding on March to May; contestants will be approved and invited on June; semi-finals and final round will be holding in China on July.
●“Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students：overseas preliminary rounds will be holding on March to August; contestants will be approved and invited on September; semi-finals and final round will be holding in China on October.
●“Chinese Bridge”Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreigners all over the World: preliminary rounds will be holding on March to May; semi-finals and final round will be holding in China at the end of May.
“Chinese Bridge”competition series include the “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students, “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students, “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreigners all over the World.
●US: the Confucius Institutes in the US. Please contact the program coordinator Ms. Xue Jiao, Tel: 86-10-58595914, E-mail: xuejiao@hanban.org.
●UK: the Confucius Institute for Schools Institute of Education University of London, Confucius Institute of Northern Ireland University of Ulster and Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools. Please contact the program coordinator Mr. Nie Tingjie, Tel: 86-10-58595971, E-mail: nietingjie@hanban.org.
●Others: the local Chinese embassies/consulates. Please contact the program coordinator Ms. Zhang Huan, Tel: 86-10-58595997, E-mail: zhanghuan@hanban.org.
Regular public or private high school students, meeting the following criteria:
1) a citizen of his or her country of residence;
2) a basic level of Chinese (The length of time learning Chinese does not exceed 3 years);
3) between the ages of 14 to 18;
4) Healthy, able to travel internationally.
Chaperons must meet the following criteria:
1) with teaching experience, preferably a Chinese language teacher;
2) Rich experience in management;
3) Understand about China;
4) Approachable and have a sense of responsibility, cooperative and assisting in the management of and communication with students, can better handle the crisis;
5) healthy, able to travel internationally;
6) 50 years of age or younger;
7) the proportion of chaperons to students is 8:1 to 15:1.
“Chinese Bridge” Summer Camp for High School Students provides students with Chinese language and culture classes (such as paper cutting, calligraphy, ink and wash painting, tea ceremony, and martial arts), rich and varied activities (get together with Chinese students, home-stay experiences, etc.) and cultural experiencing activities.
The Division of Public Relations is in charge of news and media. Please reach the program officer Wang Shuo at 86-10-58595706 for more information.
Enquiries regarding contribution of articles to the Newsletters of the International Society for Chinese Language Teaching, please call: 86-010-58595938 or 86-010-58595999