Confucius say...

A descendant of the famed Chinese philosopher Confucius will be the director of the new Confucius Institute at the University of Memphis. Dr. Hsiang-te Kung, a 75th generation descendant of Confucius, will head the institute, which was announced Monday by officials of the U of M and Hubei University in China.
The Confucius Institute at the U of M will be the 24th such institute in the United States and one of just more than 100 created since the initiative began in 2004 with an institute in Seoul, Korea. The U of M was chosen after a highly competitive selection process among several universities. It is being established with money provided by the Beijing-based Office of Chinese Language Council International.
The Memphis Institute will be instrumental in fostering closer ties in a number of ways between mainland China and the U.S. Its specific goals will be to promote the understanding of the Chinese language and culture among Americans, to help in developing friendly relations between the U.S. and mainland China, to accelerate the expansion of multiculturalism, and to provide opportunities for students to study the Chinese language.
The local institute also will work closely with the university's new Asian studies and international trade program. That program, which begins this fall, is designed to provide students with the critical skills that more international companies are seeking in their employees, such as foreign language proficiency, cultural sensitivity, experience abroad, and knowledge of international business. The Asian studies program was funded by a gift of $1 million from an anonymous donor.