The Victoria Business Confucius Institute (VBCI) was jointly established by Victoria University (VU) and the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) to strengthen VU's relationship with China.
Confucius Institutes disseminate Chinese language and culture. There are over 500 globally, with the headquarters at the Chinese Hanban Institute. The new Confucius Institute, established in November 2015 at VU, brings a unique business focus which is complementary to the existing Confucius Institutes in Melbourne.
Partners
The Chinese Hanban Institute is the headquarters for all Confucius Institutes around the globe.
Each Confucius Institute also has a Chinese partner. The Chinese partner for Victoria University's VBCI is the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE). VU and UIBE have long standing exchange programs and partnerships dating back to 2002. UIBE is a top 100 university that is ranked number five in China in the finance and economic fields.
About the Institute
The Victoria Business Confucius Institute (VBCI) plays an important role in business Chinese teaching and business knowledge sharing in Victoria and Australia-wide. VBCI will be an extension to VU’s pursuit of its mission as the University of Opportunity with its strong multi-cultural awareness. It will make its distinctive contribution to promote Chinese business culture in Australia and to foster business relationships between the two countries.
VU is uniquely well-positioned to successfully operate a business-oriented Confucius Institute because of our:
- active engagement with Asia, in particular China
- focus on relevant, practical, applied education, training and research.
VBCI can operate sustainably long-term because of the high demand for a better understanding of Chinese business culture in Melbourne. This is due to the closer economic ties between Australia and China, particularly after the conclusion of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) negotiations.
The courses delivered by VBCI will be practical and high quality. VBCI will draw on the expertise of both universities (VU and UIBE) in the curriculum development of business courses, e.g.:
- commerce
- business law
- management
- finance and accounting
- industry related research capacities
- business Chinese teaching.
Professor Peter Dawkins (Vice Chancellor of Victoria University) and Professor Shi Jianjun (President of the University of International Business and Economics, also a Council Member of Confucius Institute Headquarters), are both very supportive of the establishment of VBCI.
Aims
The primary aims for VBCI are to:
- offer Chinese business culture and business language courses
- facilitate Chinese cultural and cross-cultural events for a wider range of local communities.
Chinese business & cultural courses
VBCI is developing a comprehensive set of China business focused courses and programs catering for targeted groups, including:
- Australian students and individuals who want to explore future career options in China business related areas
- Australian business professionals who are doing (or plan to do) business in or with China
- Chinese companies or individuals who currently have or intend to set up businesses in Australia.
Chinese cultural & cross-cultural events
VBCI aims to act as a cultural bridge or platform and will host a number of events to promote wider Chinese culture, most of which will be open to the general public.
We work with our business, government, industry, educational and community partners to bring together local business personnel and Chinese who are doing business in Australia, sharing and learning cross-cultural differences. We aim to facilitate collaboration and business contacts between Australian and Chinese companies in various industries.
Contact us
The Victoria Business Confucius Institute (VBCI) is located at Level 10, City Flinders Campus.
Phone: +61 9919 1955
Chinese Director: Claire Wang
Email: claire.wang@vu.edu.au
