Memoirs of a Confucius Institute Director, Volume 2 : Global China Shaped by Local Realities / by Jinghan Zeng.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Zeng, Jinghan., Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

International relations.

Foreign Policy.

Local Subjects:

Foreign Policy.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (XXXV, 214 p. 10 illus.). 9 illus. in color.

Edition:

1st ed. 2026.

Place of Publication:

Singapore : Springer Nature Singapore : Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan, 2026.

Summary:

“A rare and valuable insight … drawing on lived experience and valuable research.” — Professor Rana Mitter, Harvard University “Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand China’s evolving soft power strategy.” — Mark Logan, former UK Member of Parliament “Fascinating insider's account by a former Director of the Lancaster University Confucius Institute.” - Professor Daniel Bell, University of Hong Kong “A compelling account of how a particular Confucius Institute navigated itself through the turbulent years … and growing geopolitical tensions. There are lessons for us all.” — Professor Wei Li, Director & Dean, UCL Institute of Education “A fascinating account on one of the most important—and controversial—experiments of a rising China’s engagement with the outside world.” — Professor Hong Liu, Associate Vice President, Nanyang Technological University “A first-hand account of what truly happened with China’s Confucius Institutes.” —Professor Qingguo Jia, Former Dean at Peking University This open access book follows Volume 1 to offer a rare and fresh insider account of Confucius Institutes, one of China’s most debated global initiatives. Based on six years of experience as a Confucius Institute director, it challenges the view that these institutes are Chinese centrally controlled tools of soft power or other state objectives, showing instead how local contexts shape their everyday operations and development. It explores how Confucius Institutes are jointly run with host universities and embedded in the political, institutional, and cultural environments of host countries. Accessible and engaging, this study reframes debates on China’s global engagement, highlighting how global China is shaped by local realities. Jinghan Zeng is a Professor at City University of Hong Kong and former Director of the Lancaster University Confucius Institute (2019-2025).

Contents:

Preface: Inside the Confucius Institute Story

Introduction Chapter: Rethinking Confucius Institutes: The Centrality of Local Contexts

Chapter 2 The British National Context for Confucius Institutes: Navigating Shifting and Divided China Policies

Chapter 3 Regional Contexts for Confucius Institutes: Bridging China and Local Community

Chapter 4 Organizational Contexts for Confucius Institutes (I): The Strategic Value for Host Universities

Chapter 5 Organizational Contexts for Confucius Institutes (II): Challenges from Within

Chapter 6 Organizational Contexts for Confucius Institutes (III): University Strategies and Leadership Dynamics

Chapter 7 Sub-Organizational Contexts for Confucius Institutes: Faculties, Departments, and Centres

Chapter 8 Institute Contexts: Inside the Confucius Institutes

Conclusion Chapter: Global China meets local realities.

Notes:

Print version record.

ISBN:

9789819229666