Hanban provides a grant for the establishment of the Northern Light Confucius Institute

Project narrative

In September 2006, the Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) and the University of Iceland signed an agreement to establish the Northern Light Confucius Institute. As part of the agreement, Hanban is obligated to provide teaching materials, an annual fund, and numbers of Chinese instructors. The funds are dispersed through a local Bank of China account or other approved bank account created by the institute. The agreement has a 5-year validity and automatically renews at the end of every 5-year term. In 2007, the University of Iceland and Ningbo University, the cooperating partner, signed a supplementary implementation agreement. Central Conservatory of Music agreed to provide one or two visiting scholars annually, donate teaching materials, and receive student study groups. The Confucius Institute began operations on October 19, 2007, and it was officially opened on May 16, 2008.