Hanban provides a $150,000 USD grant for the establishment of the Confucius Institute at Newcastle University

Project narrative

On February 17, 2012, the Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) and Newcastle University signed an agreement to establish the Confucius Institute at Newcastle University. Under the agreement, Hanban is obligated to provide USD 150,000 in start-up funds followed by a certain amount of annual funding to meet operational demands, 3,000 volumes of teaching materials, and Chinese instructors. An additional implementation agreement was signed between Newcastle University and Xiamen University -- the cooperation institution -- at a later unspecified date. Xiamen University agreed to provide Chinese staff and support Newcastle students. On May 18th, 2013, an unveiling ceremony was officially held at Newcastle University to mark the opening on the institute. The institute aims to promote understanding and study of Chinese language and culture among local students ranging from primary school to university level.