A tripartite agreement was signed on November 15 between the Chinese Education Foundation, Yunnan Minzu University, and CU. Photo: BSS

CHITTAGONG UNIVERSITY, Nov 21, 2025 (BSS) - Chittagong University (CU) will soon establish a Confucius Institute, strengthening linguistic, cultural, and academic ties between Bangladesh and China.

A tripartite agreement was signed on November 15 between the Chinese Education Foundation, Yunnan Minzu University, and CU. 

The institute will serve as a centre for Chinese and Bengali language education, joint research, academic exchange programmes, and cross-cultural engagement.

CU will provide half an acre of land for the institute, while China will finance and construct the academic, administrative, and residential facilities. 

Temporary academic activities are expected to start within a month using designated classrooms, with full operations commencing after infrastructure completion.

Prof. Dr Mohammed Saiful Islam, CU acting Registrar, said, "The Chinese government and Yunnan Minzu University will cover all establishment and operational costs. Revenues will fund regular expenses, and any surplus will support the institute's development. A technical team from Yunnan Minzu University will soon visit CU to plan the academic block, administrative building, and dormitory facilities."

The institute will be overseen by a 12-member Board of Directors, six from each country, with the Vice-Chancellors of CU and Yunnan Minzu University serving as co-chairs. The board will meet at least once a year to review plans and progress.

Prof. Dr Md Kamal Uddin, CU Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration), said CU's Confucius Institute will be unique. 

"Unlike Dhaka University and North South University, which focus mainly on Chinese language instruction, CU will run a bilingual model. Bangladeshis will learn Chinese, and Chinese students, researchers, and professionals will learn Bangla. This will be the country's first fully bilingual Confucius Institute," he said.

CU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr Muhammad Yeahia Akhter described the agreement as "a milestone" and said the institute would expand opportunities for higher education, research, and employment. 

"Our students will benefit from scholarships, collaborative research, and international job opportunities, while Chinese students at CU will help strengthen our global ranking," he added.

Yunnan Minzu University has also expressed interest in sending postgraduate and doctoral students to CU's Bangla Department and Faculty of Social Sciences. 

This year, it has already proposed enrolling one Chinese student in CU's master's programme in Bangla and another in the PhD programme.