Confucius Institute debuts at U.

The Confucius Institute became the newest part of the University of Utah community Tuesday when an agreement was signed to partner with a Chinese university.

As one of only 13 institutions in the nation to host a center for Chinese culture and learning, U. officials announced the opening of the new institute and the beginning of a partnership with the Sichuan University in Chengdu.

"It will generate a great deal of interest in and knowledge of this important nation and thereby help to further Utah's ties to China," said Robert Newman, dean of the U.'s College of Humanities, where the institute will be housed. The Salt Lake campus will welcome two full-time language teachers from the Sichuan province, in addition to offering a variety of events to enhance the study of knowledge of Chinese language and culture.

Already the university offers more than 30 courses related to an Asian studies program, while Utah State University, Weber State University and Brigham Young University all have similar programs that have generated a lot of local interest in Chinese and other Asian cultures, Newman said.

"It is clear that this is a university with a capacity to look beyond geographical borders to the rest of the world," said U. President Michael K. Young. He remarked that a significant number of U. students speak languages other than English, making the U. a good location for such a venture.

"This is a window for American students here and local people here to get to know China and Chinese culture," said Shi Jian, vice president of Sichuan University. He issued an open invitation to faculty and students to also visit his university to help his students learn more about America. The agreement between the two universities has been in the works for more than a year, he said.

"The relationship between the United States and China is solid, and we are in fact old friends," said Utah Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr., adding that it may in fact be a "spicy relationship," but a strong relationship nonetheless. Huntsman, who has multiple ties to China, said he hopes the institute gives more people an opportunity to reflect on Confucius as a person and delve into the moral and political teachings he issued to the world.

"This very much will be a learning opportunity for the people in our state," he said, inviting everyone to discover the "mysterious East."