An Interpretation Of Confucius Institute From The Perspective Of Intercultural Communication

Confucius Institute is an important medium and platform of intercultural communication.The thesis begins with an introduction of the establishment of Confucius Institute,ensued with a three-dimensional analysis of research significance: mutual trust,institute level and individual level.Methodologies adopted in this thesis are qualitative: SWOT-PEST analysis and phenomenological analysis.In-depth interviews and unpublished first-handed resources have been properly utilized in addition to profound bibliographical and Internet resources.Past researches on Confucius Institute are either macroscopic or microscopic.Macroscopic studies,in most cases,are qualitative;authors either incorporated a specific Confucius Institute as the object for case study in researches of cultural diplomacy or conducted a specific research on Confucius Institute from the perspective of cultural diplomacy.Microscopic analysis is more frequently conducted by quantitative analysis,but sometimes infused with qualitative analysis to increase the external validity.The author then proceeds into an overview of Confucius Institute—its operational mechanism and funding sources—and a comparison of foreign parallel cultural promotion institutes.The following is the case study of Confucius Institute at University of Botswana,in which the author clarifies three aspects of CIUB: the history of establishment,operational mechanisms and the aim.The author thus employs an SWOT-PEST analysis in conjunction with a phenomenological analysis characterized by in-depth interview and personal interpretation of key informants.The author believes that CIUB has advantages in regards to national power,government support,institutional cooperation,fiscal division,cultural heritage and informatization;while disadvantageous in diversification of funding sources,courses and targeted population,quantity of local employees,cross-cultural adaptation ability and understanding of both sides’ interests.CIUB has a promising future if it can seize the opportunity and avoid threats effectively.