Foreign-Funded Language and Culture Institutes at U.S. Institutions of Higher Education

Foreign-funded language and culture institutes exist on U.S. campuses beyond Confucius Institutes (CIs)—Chinese government-funded centers established by the Chinese Communist Party to extend the reach of Chinese language and culture and to enhance worldwide opinion of China through offering classes in Mandarin Chinese and highlighting positive aspects of Chinese culture. Regardless of the sponsoring nation, foreign-funded language and culture institutes may pose risks for U.S. host institutions regarding academic freedom, freedom of expression, governance, and national security. This is particularly true if the values of the sponsoring nation do not align with the democratic values held in the United States and if the sponsoring nation is suspected of engaging in activities adversely affecting human rights, academic freedom, freedom of expression, association, dissent, and U.S. national security.

This report explores the role of other foreign-funded institutes at U.S. institutions of higher education, describing characteristics and features of such institutes; determining characteristics and features of foreign-funded institutes at U.S. institutions of higher education that could be flags for institutions to engage in further deliberation and vetting prior to entering into a partnership; identifying implementable practices for U.S. institutions of higher education to ensure appropriate operations; and continuing exploration of what role the sensitivity of the research conducted on campus should play in determining which foreign-funded partnerships are appropriate. Foreign-Funded Language and Culture Institutes at U.S. Institutions of Higher Education recommends actions that U.S. colleges and universities can take to minimize risks associated with hosting foreign-funded language and culture institutions, such as a CI, on or near campus and protect academic freedom and national security.