UQ cuts ties with controversial Confucius Institute

The University of Queensland has become the first in the state to dump the controversial Beijing-backed Confucius Institute.

The Taiwanese flag flying over UQ’s Forgan Smith Building as students protest the Confucius Institute in 2019.

The University of Queensland has become the first in the state to dump the controversial Beijing-backed Confucius Institute amid ongoing concerns over threats of foreign influence.

But two other universities in the state — QUT and Griffith — will continue to host Confucius Institutes.

The Confucius Institute at UQ has been quietly dismantled in recent months after nearly 15 years of operations, with the university confirming the contract had expired at the end of 2024.

Confucius Institutes, Chinese language and culture education facilities accused of giving Beijing too much power over curriculum, have been under the spotlight for years over concerns the were a vehicle for foreign influence.

It even faced accusations that Chinese authorities used them to monitor students and academics abroad.

Those concerns prompted the Albanese government in 2023, in light of a major inquiry into foreign interference, to confirm no more Confucius Institutes would be approved in the country.

It’s allowed those institutes — opened in more than a dozen universities nationally — to keep operating until their agreements run out.

Confucius Institutes have quietly shut in some schools but many, including Griffith University and QUT still publicly link their relationship to the program.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said the government was working directly with universities to mitigate and manage potential risks associated with Confucius Institutes.

Drew Pavlou (centre) at a protest against the UQ Confucius Institute in 2020

Universities are also expected to undertake their own due diligence to ensure foreign entities comply with Australia’s foreign arrangement rules.

A spokeswoman for UQ confirmed the contract had expired on December 31, 2024 and was not renewed, leading to the closure of the Confucius Institute.

“UQ remains committed to fostering its global partnerships with leading institutions around the world, including with China, in the areas of foreign language teaching, student mobility and enrolments and research,” she said.

“All partners of CI and other stakeholders were notified ahead of its closure.”

QUT still has a Confucius Institute though a spokeswoman confirmed different arrangements were made in 2020 that meant there was no longer an in-person facility.

It is understood that QUT has not had a relationship with Hanban, the Chinese government entity that previously operated Confucius Institutes, since 2020, but will continue to collaborate with Nanjing Normal University in 2025.

A Griffith University spokeswoman said its Confucius Institute remained open and there had not been a directive to close it.

Self-professed anti-Chinese Communist Party activist Drew Pavlou was suspended for two years for breaching the university’s student integrity and misconduct policy.

Mr Pavlou led anti-China protests on campus and was vocal about UQ’s connections with China and the on-campus Confucius Institute in 2020.