CU launches first Confucius Institute in south-eastern Bangladesh
Institute will promote Chinese language and culture, expand higher education opportunities in China and develop skilled manpower for Chattogram’s industries and trade.
Highlights:
- CU launches Bangladesh's fourth Confucius Institute
- Institute to promote Chinese language and culture
- It will support higher education and skills development
- Chinese officials say it will strengthen Bangladesh-China ties
Chittagong University (CU) has launched the first Confucius Institute in Bangladesh's south-eastern region to promote Chinese language and culture, expand higher education opportunities in China and help develop skilled manpower for Chattogram's industries and trade.
The institute was formally inaugurated yesterday (26 September) at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in Dhaka.
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Established jointly by CU and China's Yunnan Minzu University, it is the fourth Confucius Institute in Bangladesh.
Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen said the institute could play an important role in developing skilled manpower needed for industrial growth in Chattogram and strengthening Bangladesh-China trade and economic cooperation.
Yunnan Minzu University Party Committee Secretary Ruan Chaoqi said his university would help provide more skilled teachers and expand opportunities for Bangladeshi youth to pursue higher education in China.
He said the institute would serve as a bridge for young people of the two countries to learn Chinese and promote friendship and mutual understanding.
CU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Al-Forkan said the institute would go beyond language education by connecting the people, cultures and ideas of Bangladesh and China.
It will offer teachers, students, researchers and local communities opportunities to learn about Chinese language, culture, history and modern development, he said.
The initiative could also create opportunities for academic mobility, international research, tourism and business through language education and research exchanges, the vice-chancellor added.
Zhao Chunmin, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China's Yunnan Provincial Committee, said Yunnan would continue supporting the institute by building on the respective strengths and expertise of the two universities.
University Grants Commission (UGC) member Prof Dr Abdullah-Al-Mamun expressed hope that the institute would set an example for other higher education institutions through new initiatives and experiences.
The institute received approval from the Chinese International Education Foundation in October 2025. CU and Yunnan Minzu University signed a cooperation agreement at the World Chinese Language Conference in Beijing in November that year.
Representatives of universities, educational institutions, Confucius Institutes and Chinese organisations from Bangladesh and China attended the inauguration.
The programme also featured a lion dance and Chinese martial arts performance by Yunnan Minzu University, a cultural performance by Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Pratisthan (BKSP) and Bengali songs performed by students of the Bengali Department of a Chinese university.
