The UO has many layers of educational ties with China: scholarly research, study abroad, scientific exchange, faculty recruitment and more. Now the relationship deepens with the founding of the UO Confucius Institute.
The UO Confucius Institute joins a network of more than 50 Confucius Institutes at U.S. universities -- and nearly 300 worldwide -- that have been established since 2004.
Headed by modern Chinese history professor Bryna Goodman, the UO Confucius Institute will center around four themes: Chinese culture across borders, Chinese futures/global futures, Chinese culture on a world stage and China and global sustainability.
The Institute will officially open in fall 2010, and meanwhile will support events for scholars and the community in advance of the official inauguration.
The UO Confucius Institute will be co-sponsoring two upcoming events in Portland.
Infinite Worlds
"Infinite Worlds: The Cultural Biography of Chinese Classical Gardens," April 9 - 10 at the UO in Portland, is a workshop that will bring together scholars from around the world to present research on Chinese gardens. The workshop is organized by Ina Asim, a professor in late imperial Chinese history.
Postcards from James Fallows
James Fallows, author and Atlantic Monthly national correspondent, will give a lecture, "Postcards from Tomorrow Square: Reports from China," April 21 at the UO in Portland. Fallows will discuss China's explosive growth and the ramifications for America and the rest of the world. For the past five years, Fallows has lived in Shanghai, tracking China's economic boom and analyzing the cultural life of the Chinese metropolis.