About Us

The Confucius Institute for Scotland in the University of Edinburgh is a national centre promoting educational and cultural ties between Scotland and China.

Set up with Sino-Scottish Government backing and partnered with Fudan University the institute was established in 2006, the first in Scotland.

One of several hundreds of Confucius Institutes around the world, its main remit is to promote awareness and knowledge of Chinese language and culture.

The key objectives for the Confucius Institute for Scotland are:

  • to help develop effective Sino-Scottish cultural and academic links;
  • to offer an extensive programme of Chinese language training;
  • to act as a bridge between Scotland and China, aiding understanding and facilitating engagement
  • to be a major point of reference for Sino-Scottish relations in the areas of education and culture
  • to work with other stakeholders to develop greater awareness of China in Scotland

Abden House stairwayThe Confucius Institute for Scotland builds on existing links within the University of Edinburgh to various academic and cultural institutions in China. Its aims are to strengthen and expand these as well as to explore new possibilities for collaboration.

The first Chinese graduate from a European university was Huang Kuan, who studied Medicine at Edinburgh in 1855. His statue stands today in the grounds of the Confucius Institute.

Since then there have been a number of outstanding Chinese alumni of the University including:

  • The late Professor Huang Kun, who worked with Max Born, the Edinburgh Nobel prize-winner in Physics, and who received the 2001 Supreme Scientific and Technological Award from President Jiang Zemin for his pioneering work in solid state physics;
  • Professor Yang Liming, a major figure in nuclear physics in China;
  • Professor Zhong Nan-shan, who identified the SARS virus, and who received an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh in Beijing in March 2007

Further Information