Confucius Institute teachers can stay in US
Source: Xinhua/Shanghai Daily |
May 27, 2012, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE Hanban - Confucius Institute Headquarters - revealed yesterday that the US Department of State has renewed a guidance directive saying Confucius Institutes in the US can continue with their courses, and the institute's Chinese teachers on American campuses do not have to leave before June 30.
According to an announcement published on the Hanban's website yesterday, the US Department of State on Friday confirmed the legal status of Confucius Institutes in the country and said they do not need to obtain separate US accreditation.
The website also posted a copy of the original document issued by Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs under US Department of State. The new guidance directive will replace the previous one issued on May 17.
"The new notice showed recognition of Confucius Institutes from the US federal government. We welcome the quick amendment by the US State Department. The surging interest in the Chinese language in the US is an irreversible trend," Xu Lin, director of Hanban, told Xinhua News Agency yesterday.
The US Department of State on Friday reassured US universities working with Confucius Institutes that it would sort out a visa mess-up involving some Chinese language teachers and ensure nobody had to leave the country.
New directive
On the J-1 visa issue, the department said in the new directive, "Exchange visitors sponsored by university or college sponsors who are teaching in primary or secondary schools are not required to depart the United Sates at the end of this academic year, unless that was their intended date of departure."
The initial directive stated that any academics at university-based institutes who are teaching at the primary and secondary-school levels are violating the terms of their visas and expected to return China at the end of the academic school year in June to apply for appropriate visas.
US Department of State spokesperson Victoria Nuland said on Friday that the department would fix the mess-up "in a manner that doesn't require anybody who is still within status to leave."
Nuland said the department acknowledged that "the first notice was not our best work" and that officials "have endeavored to fix this."
Cui Jianxin, deputy director of Confucius Institute with the University of Maryland, said the amended guidance was welcomed and did not expect the development of the Chinese program in the next school year to be affected by what happened.
According to an announcement published on the Hanban's website yesterday, the US Department of State on Friday confirmed the legal status of Confucius Institutes in the country and said they do not need to obtain separate US accreditation.
The website also posted a copy of the original document issued by Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs under US Department of State. The new guidance directive will replace the previous one issued on May 17.
"The new notice showed recognition of Confucius Institutes from the US federal government. We welcome the quick amendment by the US State Department. The surging interest in the Chinese language in the US is an irreversible trend," Xu Lin, director of Hanban, told Xinhua News Agency yesterday.
The US Department of State on Friday reassured US universities working with Confucius Institutes that it would sort out a visa mess-up involving some Chinese language teachers and ensure nobody had to leave the country.
New directive
On the J-1 visa issue, the department said in the new directive, "Exchange visitors sponsored by university or college sponsors who are teaching in primary or secondary schools are not required to depart the United Sates at the end of this academic year, unless that was their intended date of departure."
The initial directive stated that any academics at university-based institutes who are teaching at the primary and secondary-school levels are violating the terms of their visas and expected to return China at the end of the academic school year in June to apply for appropriate visas.
US Department of State spokesperson Victoria Nuland said on Friday that the department would fix the mess-up "in a manner that doesn't require anybody who is still within status to leave."
Nuland said the department acknowledged that "the first notice was not our best work" and that officials "have endeavored to fix this."
Cui Jianxin, deputy director of Confucius Institute with the University of Maryland, said the amended guidance was welcomed and did not expect the development of the Chinese program in the next school year to be affected by what happened.
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