McMaster U. to Close Confucius Institute

McMaster University, in Ontario, will close its Confucius Institute this summer due to concerns about its Chinese partner’s hiring practices, The Globe and Mail reported. A former instructor at McMaster’s Confucius Institute recently issued a complaint with the province's Human Rights Tribunal alleging that the university was “giving legitimization to discrimination” because her contract with Hanban – the Chinese government entity that sponsors the institutes – prohibits her participation in Falun Gong. 

The number of Confucius Institutes -- centers of Chinese language and culture education based on university campuses -- has increased rapidly worldwide, but critics raise concerns about the degree to which the Chinese government exercises control over curricular matters (including through the hiring of instructors).