The Confucious Institute is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote the study of Chinese language and culture around the world, so as to enhance the world's understanding of the Chinese language, as well as to promote educational and cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries.

Located in the United Arab Emirates, Confucious Institute at Zayed University (CIZU) was established in 2010 as a partnership between Beijing Foreign Studies University and Zayed University. CIZU is currently a unit within the Institute for Community Engagement (ICE) at Zayed University. 

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The Confucius Institute takes its name from the famous Chinese philosopher and teacher Confucius (551 - 479BC), whose teachings continue to have a profound influence on Chinese culture. In fact, many Chinese values can be traced directly back to the writings of Confucius, which are more than 2500 years old. In honor of Confucius, and in line with his ideas of improving and spreading education, the in­stitutes have borrowed his name as a symbol of their desire to promote learning.