China’s Use Of Educational Strategies To Increase Its Soft Power In Africa:the Influence Of Confucius Institutes And Project Hope

This paper analyzes the educational initiatives that are part of China’s overall plan to increase its soft power in African countries. Since there are so many of these educational initiatives, the research in this paper focuses solely on the influence of Confucius Institutes and the Hope Project. Confucius Institutes are Chinese language and cultural learning centers, which are established in universities around the world. The China-Africa Hope Project is not connected with any form of Chinese education, but simply involves the construction of primary schools in impoverished regions built with Chinese support. Currently, in Africa there are over twenty Confucius Institutes in approximately ten countries, and Project Hope schools are being started in many East African countries. When researching this topic, the author set out to answer two primary questions:1) Are these educational initiatives, and particularly the Confucius Institutes, mutually beneficial?2) Will they help to increase China’s soft power in African countries? The field research for this topic was conducted in Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania in January of2012. While in Africa, the author visited two Confucius Institutes in Kenya and three in South Africa, for a total of five. While in Tanzania, the author visited the first elementary school built on the continent by the China-Africa Hope Project. In total, the author met with and conducted interviews with over100teachers, students, staff and local community members, to discuss the impression and impact of these educational initiatives on individuals’ lives. This paper concludes that, although Confucius Institutes do appear to be mutually beneficial, they will only increase China’s soft power in Africa in the short run. In the long run, they could actually have detrimental affects on China’s image. If China wants to avoid these negative consequences, it must pay careful attention to the way in which Confucius Institutes are run. The China-Hope Project, in contrast, has the potential increase China’s soft power in a more discreet and indirect way.