Confucius Institutes v2 (1)

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CONFUCIUS INSTITUTES AND THE GLOBALIZATION OF CHINA’S SOFT POWER 23One of the signs of true network synergy and network strategyevident in the CI initiative is the collaborative efforts that resultin value-added knowledge creation. Several CI reports containinformation on teaching and cultural activities that suggestcollaboration leading to knowledge creation. For example, fromthe CI at Honam University of Korea: “This course book hasbeen compiled on the basis of the examination of various Chineseteaching materials and the combination of different comments on thevarious teaching materials by netizens.” 35 Another Korean university(Chungnam National University) held a conference on “ExchangingExperience” between <strong>Confucius</strong> <strong>Institutes</strong> in Korea and Japan.Similarly, the Michigan State University CI website highlightsseveral of its innovations in teaching: “[MSU] was the first to offeronline Mandarin courses for high school students. It was the firstto design and offer community college level courses in the virtualenvironment Second Life. It was also the first to release a MassivelyMulti-player Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) for teachinglanguage and culture.” 36While China’s CI initiative enjoys credibility with narrativeand identity advantages in Chinese language instruction, negativeperceptions of China’s political system can adversely affect thenetwork strategy, particularly in Western Europe and the UnitedStates. Whereas network structure and network synergy are primarilyrelationship-based, network strategy is primarily information-based.The CI initiative also straddles a fine line between promotinglanguage and culture as a positive step and being perceived as athreat by other linguistic and cultural groups. The CI initiative musttake care through network strategy not to become a victim of itsown success. How effectively the CI initiative is able to mediateperceptions of an ever-expanding language and cultural programwill rest on effective network strategy.Insights & LessonsAt a time of shrinking resources in public and cultural diplomacy,understanding how a network collaborative process can help create
24 CONFUCIUS INSTITUTES AND THE GLOBALIZATION OF CHINA’S SOFT POWERinitiatives that sustain themselves, and draw upon member resourcesand synergy to expand their reach and effectiveness, will becomeincreasingly important. In this regard, China’s CI initiative offersseveral insights and lessons.First, the CI initiative offers a concrete model of how to builda network-based cultural diplomacy project. In recent years, therehave been increased calls for “network public diplomacy” byscholars and policy makers. However, to date, there appears to belittle understanding of the dynamics of what network-based publicdiplomacy initiatives entail, what they look like, or how to design andimplement them. Many diplomacy initiatives stop at the structurallevel: they link the various facets, institutes, and partners on paper,in cyberspace, or through social media with little regard for how orwhy the entities are connected, what activities they do together, orhow they interact.The CI initiative highlights the importance of the underlyingrelational processes—internal and external relationship-building andincorporation of diversity—that create network synergy. Failure of anetwork initiative to cultivate these relational processes may result inthe collapse of the network as a dynamic organism. Without internalbonding, the network may become a nebulous, undefined group ofindividuals working independently or even at cross-purposes withother network members. Without external relationship-building, thenetwork may not be able to sustain its internal vitality or externallegitimacy and recognition. Failure to incorporate diversity,represented by the challenge of change and alternate perspectives,the network becomes static, rigid, and ultimately vulnerable tobreaking, decaying, or fragmenting. A sponsor may be able to sustainthe network, but it will most likely require substantial investment ofresources to essentially do what a dynamic network organism shouldbe able to do on its own, that is, grow and sustain itself. With avibrant relational dynamic, the network may excel well beyond asponsor’s initial investments and expectations.
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