In a detailed report published in 2017 by Ángel Badillo, one of the most prominent researchers of the institution and also a professor at the University of Salamanca, reflects how Confucius institutes and classrooms, dependent on the Hanban organization and ultimately on the Ministry of Education of the Chinese dictatorship, have been involved in controversy, which has finally led to the closure of numerous centers in university institutions around the world.
Headquarters of the Confucius Institute of Barcelona
The researcher points out, in fact, que "el aspecto más importante de la expansión de los Institutos Confucio se ha producido por la controversia surgida en algunos centros en torno a la política de contratación, the alleged surveillance of Chinese students in the camps, restrictions on freedom of expression - around issues such as human rights, Tiananmen Square events, la situación en el Tíbet o Taiwán -o de conciencia y religión -sobre todo en torno al Falun Gong".
As a result of this attitude of the organization that sets the guidelines for the Confucius Institutes, "se han producido numerosos cierres de centros, starting in 2010 by Osaka Sangy University (Japan), followed by the closure of the center at the Université de Lyon (France, 2013), McMaster University at Hamilton (Ontario, Canada, 2013), Pennsylvania State University y University of Chicago (USA,2014) y Stockholm University (Sweden, 2015), mientras otras universidades han cancelado las aperturas durante los procesos de negociación por diferencias de criterio con Hanban".
In fact, "La Canadian Association of University Teachers pidió en 2013 to Canadian universities to sever all ties with the Confucius Institutes because they consider their practices a fundamental violation of academic freedom, una posición que unos meses después suscribieron sus colegas estadounidenses".
Finally, and as the report points out, quoting the professor of the University of Zaragoza Javier Juberías, la "acelerada expansión" de los Institutos Confucio "no ha estado ausente de críticas", dado que "es muy probable que el fin más importante que el Instituto Confucio persigue no sea tanto la difusión de la cultura china sino la propaganda del régimen".
A CALL TO RESPONSIBILITY
Under these circumstances, and even more so taking into account the recent alerts that various international security agencies such as the North American FBI or the Canadian Intelligence Service have also issued on this topic., It is not understood how the University of Barcelona, The Autonomous University of Barcelona and Casa Asia may have allowed the installation of a Confucius Institute in a premises of the Barcelona City Council, given that it is something that can end up affecting the good name of these institutions.
Fernando Romeo
Coordination team Stop Citizen Platform Confucius Institute
comunicacion@stopinstitutoconfucio.com
www.stopinstitutoconfucio.com
