Movie Screening: In the Name Of Confucius (St. Paul Campus)

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About the Film

In the Name of Confucius is an award-winning documentary exposing China's multi-billion dollar Confucius Institute (CI) program. It is the first documentary exposé of China's CI system and the growing global controversies surrounding it - loss of academic integrity, foreign influence, violations of human rights codes, and even potential infringements on national security.

Confucius Institutes (or CIs) are Chinese language and culture programs that are fully funded by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and are set up in partnership with educational institutions around the world, including the University of Minnesota. Since 2004, CIs have found their way into over 1,700 universities and schools worldwide. Beijing describes the CIs as an important part of China's "overseas propaganda setup" and continues to open new institutes at a rate of one every week or two. However, an increasing number of schools have ended their relationships with CIs since 2013.

Synopsis

When Canada's largest school board is slated to open the world's largest Confucius Institute, the school trustees find themselves embroiled in an unprecedented public outcry. Joined by one former CI instructor whose defection and discrimination complaint led to the first-ever closure of a CI on a North American campus, hundreds of disgruntled parents launch a No-CI campaign. They are soon confronted by CI supporters, allegedly rallied by the Chinese consulate. The school board then turns into a battleground as the tension between the two camps grows—culminating in a vote that will decide the fate of the CI partnership. What will the school board choose: principles or interests?

Confucius Institutes at the University of Minnesota

The Confucius Institute operated at the University of Minnesota for 10 years before it was closed down in 2019 after the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which blocked the U.S. Department of Defense from funding Chinese language programs at institutions with Confucius Institutes without a waiver, was passed.

Is This Film Still Relevant?

Although most CIs were closed down in the United States, the CCP has never really given up on exporting its ideology and propaganda to Western society and on controlling dissidents abroad. Just last year, a Chinese language book "Discussing Everything Chinese", which is still being sold on Amazon, at Harvard bookstore, San Francisco State University, and other U.S bookstores, was found to have genocidal views on Falun Gong practitioners. After all, the name "Confucius" was merely used as a pretty cloak to hide the CCP's true intentions. After a cloak is dirtied, it is simply thrown away and replaced with a new one.

Event Details

Location: Saint Paul Student Center Theater.
Date: Thursday, March 27th, 2025.
Time: 5:30 - 6:30 PM (+ 30 minutes of Q&A with Director Doris Liu).
Catering: Popcorns (Popcornopolis) and Beverages provided (please register so we can estimate the order amount).

***P/S: We host this same event at Keller Hall room 3-210 too if that's more convenient for you (Click here to register).

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