Celebrating new Chinese institute

A new institute dedicated to spreading Chinese language and culture across Washington state was officially launched Monday, a partnership of Seattle Public Schools, the University of Washington and Hanban, a Chinese nonprofit group affiliated with China's Ministry of Education.

Called the Confucius Institute, it will join about 250 similar organizations across the globe, one of a number of Hanban's efforts to capitalize on the growing international interest in China.

Its efforts have been met with suspicion in some communities, most recently in suburban Los Angeles, where some parents expressed concern that a Hanban program might promote the Chinese government's political views.

Washington officials don't share those worries.

"We see nothing but upsides to teaching the languages and cultures of the world," said Stephen Hanson, the UW's vice provost of global affairs.

The institute is "about opening up China," said Michele Anciaux Aoki of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. "It's a two-way street."

Hanban has a number of other programs in Washington schools. In Seattle, for example, there are five Hanban-sponsored teachers from China who teach Mandarin classes.

But the institute is the first statewide partnership with Hanban, and is designed to support Chinese language and culture programs all over Washington.

Even before its official launch Monday, the institute has helped pay for training for Chinese language teachers, for seminars on how to start Chinese language programs, and for public events about China.

Hanban provided $150,000 in startup funds for the institute, which has been matched with about $150,000 in time and office space from the Washington partners.

The institute's main office will be on the UW campus, and its education office, now at Denny International Middle School in Seattle, will move to Seattle's Chief Sealth International High in the fall, when Sealth and Denny move into a new, shared campus in West Seattle.

Madame Xu Lin, director-general of Hanban, attended the ceremony at Denny Middle on Monday with dozens of other Chinese officials.

A few hours later, she signed a memorandum of understanding at the UW along with UW President Mark Emmert, Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson and Gov. Chris Gregoire.

At the Denny ceremony, which included Chinese songs, poems and a short parade, Lin smiled and nodded encouragement as several Seattle students spoke in Mandarin. And she gave one first-grader, who struggled a little, a kiss on the head.

"You will be the pioneers between China and the United States," she told them.

Linda Shaw: 206-464-2359 or lshaw@seattletimes.com