Did you know that in recent months, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio asked four Florida colleges and universities to close their Confucius Institutes? We happened to host a Confucius Institute right on the campus of University of Utah. The program is funded and staffed by a Chinese government entity. The American Association of University Professors has stated that “Confucius Institutes function as an arm of the Chinese state” and “advance a state agenda and in the restriction of debate.”
My question is to the Utah State Board of Regents and University of Utah: How closely are you scrutinizing this partnership for academic freedom? The Canadian Association of University Teachers called on all universities to cease hosting CIs. A BBC article, “Confucius Institute: The Hard Side of China’s Soft Power,” also addressed the Chinese government’s “soft control” over the program.
The infiltration of the Chinese government into our education system feels like we are slowly being led into a wolf’s den.
Cheyenne Liu, Sandy