When officials at Xavier University of Louisiana secured the support they needed to start a Confucius Institute on campus, it helped the university become the first HBCU to land the program meant to promote Chinese language and culture.
Beyond that distinction, university officials also succeeded in taking a critical step toward reaching a goal to offer a more globally relevant education.
Though Xavier’s selection as a Confucius Institute site was first announced after a trade and cultural exchange mission that the National Urban League led to Beijing in 2010, it is a feat university officials are trumpeting anew now that the university formalized the arrangement.
This semester, the university is offering courses in Chinese language, art, music and natural medicine, as well as opportunities for students to study these things in China.
University officials hope the initiative will help make Xavier students more competitive within the global economy.
“We can no longer prepare students [only] for local, regional or national marketplaces,” said Dr. Monique Guillory, special assistant to administration at Xavier. “Any institution that is looking at its sustainability and preparing students adequately for the future has to think internationally, globally, and HBCUs are no exception to this.”
Through an agreement signed in December, Xavier is partnering with Hebei University in Baoding, China, to establish a Confucius Institute on its campus. The Confucius Institute is overseen by Hanban, a Chinese-based organization affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education to provide Chinese language and culture services worldwide. There are currently 353 Confucius Institutes throughout the world.
