Confucius Institute launch a success

"Studying without thinking leads to confusion; thinking without studying leads to idleness."
— Confucius

The Confucius Institute at Arizona State University was successfully launched at an inaugural ceremony held Mon., Oct. 22 in the ASU Foundation's 6th Floor Boardroom at Fulton Center in Tempe.

A plaque commemorating the institute was unveiled at the event. Dignitaries from ASU and China's Sichuan University participated, along with government officials, and public and private sector guests. President Michael Crow and ASU's Vice President for Global Engagement Anthony (Bud) Rock welcomed guests, and introduced guest speakers including Sichuan University Vice President Jian Shi, and Confucius Institute Co-Directors Stephen H. West and Madeline K. Spring, both professors of Chinese at ASU.

The institute is ASU's direct response to the need for creating a sustainable, in-depth source of knowledge about China for Arizona citizens. It is the first of its kind in the state, and will be committed to introducing Chinese language and culture studies to elementary and secondary schools as well as to the general public in Arizona.