The Confucius Institute at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) opened on March 29.

The institute, jointly established by Shanxi University (SXU) and UNC Charlotte, marks a new stage in the development of Shanxi University’s overseas Confucius Institutes and will further the partnership between the two schools.

Philip L. Dubios, president of UNC Charlotte, delivers a speech at a reception on March 28 to acknowledge public support for the Confucius Institute in Charlotte. [Photo/sxu.edu.cn]

"I hope that our university will cooperate with Shanxi University in more areas and the Confucius Institute at UNC Charlotte will help our students and residents of Charlotte learn more about Chinese language and culture," said Philip L. Dubios, president of UNC Charlotte.

Yu Guodong, director of the Foreign Affairs Division at Shanxi University, expressed his congratulations on the opening of the Confucius Institute on behalf of SXU and Hanban, affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education. The institute is expected to serve as a platform to help promote cultural and academic communication between Shanxi province and Charlotte.

Yu Guodong (L), director of the Foreign Affairs Division at Shanxi University, and Philip L. Dubios (R), president of UNC Charlotte, unveil a plaque for the Confucius Institute in Charlotte, United States, on March 29. [Photo/sxu.edu.cn]

Apart from one at UNC Charlotte, Shanxi University has had two overseas Confucius Institutes, one at Pfeiffer University in the United States and the other at Yerevan Brusov State Linguistic University in Armenia.

UNC Charlotte, founded in 1946, is a public research institution in North Carolina and the largest public university in the Charlotte region. It offers globally competitive programs of research and creative activities, exemplary undergraduate, graduate and professional programs, and a focused set of community engagement initiatives.

Representatives of Shanxi University and the University of North Carolina in Charlotte with performers from SXU, following a show to celebrate the founding of the Confucius Institute at UNC Charlotte, March 29. [Photo/sxu.edu.cn]