About the Institute
The Confucius Institute in Krakow was established on September 29, 2006 through a partnership between Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and the Jagiellonian University, making it the first Confucius Institute in Poland. The Institute has received recognition as the Confucius Institute of the Year (2016), a Model Confucius Institute (2019), and an Outstanding HSK Examination Center (2020).
The Institute’s host university, the Jagiellonian University, was founded in 1364 and is Poland’s oldest university and one of the oldest in Europe. It consistently ranks first among Polish comprehensive universities.
The Institute occupies a Model Confucius Institute building of over 1,000 square meters in central Krakow, within walking distance of the National Museum and the Jagiellonian University Library. Facilities include multimedia and language-lab classrooms, a dedicated calligraphy room, a multipurpose auditorium, and an independent library and reading room networked with the Jagiellonian University Library system—open to both Institute students and university members for borrowing Chinese-language books and accessing multimedia resources.
The Institute is currently staffed by four Chinese teachers and two volunteers seconded from China, five local instructors, three overseas volunteers, and one full-time administrator.
Programs and Activities
Chinese Language Teaching & Examinations
The Institute offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced Chinese programs, encompassing general language courses as well as specialist classes in Business Chinese, Chinese for Children, and Chinese for Senior Learners. Cumulative enrolment has reached 1,832 students to date. The Institute also provides a compulsory Chinese language course for Jagiellonian University students and, in partnership with the university, runs a one-year advanced postgraduate program, Contemporary China, designed for scholars, officials, and business professionals pursuing China-related careers.
Instruction follows a blended learning model combining in-person and online delivery. Beginner courses use a co-teaching format pairing a Chinese instructor with a Polish instructor. Partner teaching sites include AGH University of Krakow, SWPS University in Warsaw, Primary School No. 114 in Krakow, and the 10th High School of Krakow.
The Institute administers HSK and HSKK examinations on a regular basis, with 377 candidates registered in 2024.
Faculty Development & Academic Research
The Institute organizes in-service training for its teaching staff and convenes periodic pedagogical seminars bringing together local and Chinese-language instructors to share best practice and refine teaching approaches.
Cultural Programs
Cultural programming is a defining strength of the Institute. In 2025, the Institute delivered 101 events—online and in-person—drawing a total of nearly 14,000 participants. Highlights included:
· Asia Culture Festival—an annual event co-organized with the Jagiellonian University
· “Elegance and Harmony: The Aesthetics of Chinese Characters”—a joint exhibition series with the Nanjing University of the Arts, marking International Chinese Language Day
· Confucius Institute Day concert—a program pairing Chinese classic songs with Polish jazz
· Chinese Film Series—regular film screenings and post-screening lectures, including a dedicated Looking at China film showcase
The Institute also significantly expanded its China exchange program in 2025, sending students to BFSU’s “Chinese Bridge” Summer Camp, the “Chinese Bridge” national finals, and cultural study tours to Ningbo and Shandong.
Signature Initiatives
The Institute has developed a portfolio of “Chinese +” courses integrating language learning with broader cultural practices, including Chinese + Calligraphy, Chinese + Baduanjin (a classical qigong exercise), Chinese + Traditional Chinese Dress, and Chinese + Film Studies.
Flagship initiatives include:
· “Drawing Chinese Characters” Design Competition—a creative contest exploring the visual art of Chinese script
· “In China, Seeing China” Photography Competition
· Asia Culture Festival—an annual celebration of Asian cultures hosted with the Jagiellonian University
· Sino-Polish Language and Culture Exchange Program
· Film of the Month—a monthly screening series open to the public
Looking Ahead
Over the coming five years, the Institute aims to strengthen support for Polish scholars researching Chinese language and culture, expand scholarship pathways for Polish students studying in China, and deepen academic and faculty exchange between BFSU and the Jagiellonian University, including degree-level program development. The Institute will also continue to foster Sino-Polish cultural dialogue and promote collaboration in academic publishing.
Pedagogically, the Institute will sustain its blended learning model while focusing on raising teaching quality across its partner sites and aligning curriculum development with HSK standards. On the cultural side, the Institute will build on its established flagship events while continuing to explore new formats tailored to local audiences and designed to bring contemporary China closer to the people of Krakow.
Contact
Polish Director: Rafał Kwieciński
Chinese Director: CHEN Zhong
Email: instytut.konfucjusza@uj.edu.pl
Website: instytutkonfucjusza.uj.edu.pl
Phone: +48 12 663 26 08
Address: ul. Oleandry 2a, 30-063 Kraków, Poland
