Founded on February 17, 2009, the Confucius Institute Munich was jointly established by Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and Stiftung ex oriente. Starting as a Confucius Classroom Munich. In September, 2012, it was officially upgraded to a Confucius Institute.

Located in the center of Munich, the biggest city in southern Germany, the Confucius Institute Munich aims to promote Chinese language teaching and spread Chinese culture. Confucius Institute council is comprised of 7 members, including 4 Stiftung ex oriente representatives and 3 BFSU representatives. Confucius Institute has 23 faculty members, including the Chinese Dean, German Dean, Teaching Director, Cultural Program Director, Public Promotion Assistant, Office Assistant, two native Chinese teachers, three native Chinese volunteer teachers, an overseas volunteer, and eleven local teachers. Except for the headquarter, the Confucius Institute Munich consists of four branches: Bavarian International School, the School for Children of European Patent Office Officials, Korbinian-Aigner High School in Erding and Munich Wuyuan Martial School. Christian Ude, former Mayor of Munich, and Zhu Wanjin, Consul General of the Chinese Consulate in Munich, serve as honorary advisors.

The Confucius Institute Munich has set up a well-thought-out and perfected Chinese language teaching program for both adults and adolescences. It offers 16 programs, including Chinese for adults (elementary level, intermediate level and advanced level), Chinese for children (elementary level and intermediate level), business Chinese, Chinese intensive training classes (elementary level and intermediate level), face-to-face tutorship, HSK classes, Chinese characters classes, Chinese grammar classes, as well as classes about calligraphy, Chinese painting, tea art, etc. In 2014, there were 892 registered students studying at the Confucius Institute Munich. As an increasing number of people are applying to take HSK, the Confucius Institute Munich has been holding 5 HSK exams every year since 2015. It also holds HSKK and YCT, an exam for adolescences. To this date, the number of people taking exams in the Confucius Institute Munich has reached 480, and more than that in any other Confucius Institutes in German-speaking region.

Each year, the Confucius Institute Munich organizes about 30 cultural activities, such as lectures, exhibitions, Open Days, concerts and film festivals, with over 15,000 people getting involved. The monthly cultural salon has the unique features and great influence. On May 5, 2015, people celebrated the 100th cultural salon with a fabulous celebration. In addition, the Confucius Institute Munich has taken part in many programs organized by the Confucius Institute Munich Headquarters (Hanban) and BFSU, mainly including Confucius Institute Day, Summer Camp in China for middle school students, Chinese Bridge competition for college students and middle school students, middle school principals’ visit to China, Confucius China Studies Program, recommending students with scholarship to China for study, and training for local Chinese teachers, etc. the Confucius Institute Munich also makes use of its advantages, jointly preparing cultural activities with the Chinese Embassies and Consulates in Germany, local governments and relevant organizations, such as Munich Music Night, Bavaria-China Spring Festival Gala Night, Chinese Carnival in Dietfurt, etc. They have already become local brand programs about Chinese culture. Each time when an activity is held, it will draw great attention of both Chinese and foreign media, as well as local media, and the activity will always be praised and enjoyed by the local.

The Confucius Institute Munich proactively engages in research studies. In 2014, entrusted by Confucius Institute Headquarters, the Confucius Institute Munich undertook the compiling of the German version of Hanban’s three main textbook series (New Practical Chinese Reader, Learn Chinese with Me, and Modern Chinese). The compiling work is already underway.

Different from many other Confucius Institutes, the Confucius Institute Munich has a unique cooperation mode, cooperating with a foundation rather than a university. In the process of development, the Confucius Institute Munich has not only drawn upon the advanced experience of other Confucius Institutes, but also focused on exploring a development path that fits its own features. Munich enjoys a higher economic growth rate than many other regions in Germany and Europe. Due to its favorable geographic location, the Confucius Institute Munich has worked hard to enforce the ties and cooperation with Confucius Institute and the municipal government of Munich, as well as all fields in Bavaria to provide a sound platform for economic, commercial and cultural exchanges between this region and China. With an increasingly expanding influence, it has become an authority to get a view of China, providing consulting and other services for local governments, organizations, enterprises and mainstream media.

With the purpose of promoting Chinese language teaching and spreading Chinese culture, the Confucius Institute Munich will continue exploring the development path in the spirit of enterprise and innovation. It shall strengthen team building, attract more teachers and students, deepen exchanges and cooperation, and promote Chinese culture in a more intensive and extensive way, providing a more professional and broad platform for all kinds of exchanges between China and Germany.

Contact us:

Address: Confucius Institute Munich, Faerbergraben 18, 80331 Munich, Germany

Contacts: Gao Fangfang, German Director; Li Kaning, Chinese Director

E-mail Address: info@konfuzius-muenchen.de

Tel: +49 (0)89-24 24 0 600

Fax: +49 (0)89-24 24 0 999

(As of December 31, 2014)