【新唐人2014年09月30日讯】今年的9月28号，是中共当局在全球各地建立孔子学院的10周年纪念日。不过，美国芝加哥大学却在几天前宣布，将与这个由北京支持的学术中心断绝关系。作为中共在海外的“文化前哨”，孔子学院似乎已经无法让这些海外高校和教育机构，再像以前那样，“敞开双臂”欢迎它。
作为中华民族传统文化的代表人物之一，孔子的道德天命观，在中国承传了两千多年。而中共自1949年以来，一直对孔子和孔子思想进行诋毁和批判。
不过，10年前开始，中共一反常态。在全球123个国家和地区，至今建立了465所孔子学院，和713个孔子课堂。
为了孔子学院海外成立10周年的庆祝活动，中共当局可谓做足功课，并将9月27号订为“孔子学院日”。
然而25号，芝加哥大学网站上的一则声明，与中共竭力为孔子学院营造的“喜庆”氛围，可谓格格不入。
声明表示，芝大和中共官方机构－国家汉办，在过去数个月就一项新的协议，一直在努力协商，但最近有报导引述汉办一名总干事的言论，不符合持续平等的合作关系，因此决定终止就孔子学院合约期满续约的谈判。
那么，究竟是一篇什么样的文章，让芝大感到无法接受呢？
中共《解放日报》本月19号发表的一篇对汉办主任、孔子学院总干事许琳的独家采访，在结尾写到，“今年4月下旬，美国芝加哥大学百名退休教授联名要求停办孔子学院，许琳直接一封信写给芝加哥大学校长、一个电话打给其驻京代表，只有一句话，‘只要你们学校做决定退出，我就同意’。”报导说，校方因此决定继续办好孔子学院。
许琳这“一个电话就能改变芝大”的做法，显然与芝大声明的表述，有不小出入，也与今年4月，100多名芝大教授，联名叫停孔子学院的一个重要原因吻合。这些教授对“学术自由”，和中共将会插手干预表示担心。还有教职员表示，中心教材要求不准涉及台湾、西藏和法轮功。
美国中文杂志《中国事务》总编辑伍凡：“美国的教授们，不欢迎它。因为你跟美国的教授治校、学术自由完全相违背。这个事情发生了不只一次，加拿大也发生，洛杉矶也发生，芝加哥也发生，都给他们提出（过），给汉办提出来，可是汉办不愿意改，不改，还照样，那干脆我就请你走路了。”
由于孔子学院为美国大学提供了大量资金，不少声音担心，这些礼物有附加条件。
中国历史学专家李元华：“毕竟在西方它（汉学研究）属于一个边缘学科，那么实际它也面临一个资金问题，中共看到了这一点，它以所谓的经济诱惑为手段，对于西方传统的一些汉学研究机构，以所谓合作、援助为手段，以达到牵制、控制海外汉学研究的方向，实际上它这个目的是很恶毒的。”
此外，据香港《明报》报导，数月前，有熟悉孔子学院运作人士透露，由于需要政府拨款，一些孔子学院甚至沦为官员出国的接待站。
伍凡：“人家怀疑它是一个情报机构，它派来的人，是中国派出来的，没有老师资格，可是用老师身份出来，不准讲西藏问题、法轮功问题等等，那么就是有政治目的了嘛，人家怀疑你们这些都是文化间谍、教育间谍。所以这个事情我看会闹大，不会闹小，因为芝加哥大学在美国是Top10（的）一流大学，会发酵的。”
对于芝大终止与孔子学院的合作，中共汉办发声明表示遗憾，但同时说，对方有权作出选择。
采访/易如 编辑/王子琦 后制/钟元
Confucius Institute “Kicked Out" from University of Chicago
Sept. 28 of this year marks the 10th anniversary of the
Confucius Institutes established in the
world by the Chinese authorities.
However, a few days ago, the University of Chicago
announced it would sever its ties
with the Institute supported by Beijing.
As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) overseas
“cultural outpost",
the Confucius Institute seems to be less successful at having
overseas universities open armed and welcoming,
as they have been in the past.
As one of the representatives of traditional Chinese culture,
Confucius moral teachings have been well rooted
within China’s true heritage for over two thousand years.
Since 1949, the CCP have always slandered and criticised
Confucius and Confucianism.
However, things changed dramatically 10 years ago,
as CCP changed its attitude towards Confucius.
Since then, the CCP has established 465 Confucius Institutes
and 713 Confucius classrooms in 123 countries worldwide.
The Chinese authorities have made detailed preparations
for the 10th anniversary celebrations
of overseas Confucius Institutes,
even setting a date Sept. 27 as “Confucius Institute Day".
However, on Sept. 25, University of Chicago broadcast
a statement on its website,
which can best be described as antipathetic with the “festive"
atmosphere which the CCP has tried to create for the
Confucius Institute.
The statement says, the University of Chicago and CCP
official institution – Hanban,
have been trying to negotiate terms these past few months
on finding a new agreement.
A recent report however, quoted the speech given
by Director-General of Hanban, did not meet
the desired requirements of a continued equality partnership.
Hence the University decided to terminate their negotiations
upon expiry of the contract.
So which news report did the article come from?
Shanghai CCP’s “Liberation Daily" published an article
on Sept. 19, which details
an exclusive interview with Xu Lin, Director of Hanban
and the Director-General of the Confucius Institute.
At the end of the article it said, “This year, in late April,
a hundred emeritus professors of University of Chicago
signed up for the closure of Confucius Institute at the University.
Xu Lin decided to directly write a letter to the President
of University of Chicago, and give a phone call
to the representative of University in Beijing.
All of these were just to convey one simple message
‘If your University decided to quit the College, I agree’."
The report says that the University of Chicago
decided to continue to run Confucius College.
Xu Lin’s statement “one phone call can change the decision
of the University of Chicago", its significant discrepancy
with the express declaration of the University.
This is also consistent with one key reason
that more than 100 professors jointly appealed
to stop the operation of the Confucius Institute
in April of this year.
These professors expressed concern
of the “academic freedom"
and the intervention of the CCP.
Some faculty staff said that the teaching materials
of the Confucius Institute are required not
to involve Taiwan, Tibet and Falun Gong.
American Chinese magazine “China Affairs" Chief Editor
Mr Wu Fan:
“American professors do not welcome it
because the Institute is completely contrary to
the principles of American Professors
governing the University and promoting academic freedom.
Such an incident happened not once, but has also occurred
in Canada, Los Angeles and Chicago.
They all raised this issue to Hanban, but Hanban are
unwilling to change,
wanting to still keep things the same way,
they then have to let the Confucius Institute go."
Since the Confucius Institute offered American universities
lots of money as an incentive, many voices are
worried that these gifts have strings attached.
Chinese historian Li Yuanhua: “In the West, Sinology
( network attached storage co.)belongs to an edge of discipline,
is facing a real financial problems.
The CCP saw this, and employed economic temptation
as a means to develop Confucius Institutes
with some Western Sinology research institutions.
All in the name of cooperation and assistance,
the CCP tried to achieve containment, thus controlling
the direction of overseas Chinese studies, and in fact the CCP’s
purpose is very vicious."
In addition, according to Hong Kong’s “Ming Pao",
a few months ago, a person who is familiar
with the operation of the Confucius Institute
has revealed that due to being funded by the government,
some overseas Confucius Institutes even
become official reception centres.
Wu Fan: “Some people suspect that the Institute is
an intelligence agency, which sent out staff from China,
with the staff having no teacher qualifications,
yet with a teachers’ identity but without being allowed to talk
about the issues of Tibet or Falun Gong etc.
Then the Institute has political purposes. Some people suspect
these Institutes are cultural and educational spies
for CCP authorities.
So I think this thing will likely blow up rather than
reduce into nothing.
Because the University of Chicago in the United States
is of the Top10 and a first-class university,
this matter will ferment. “
Regarding the decision of the University of Chicago
terminating the cooperation with the Confucius Institute,
the CCP’s Hanban issued a statement and expressed its regret,
but said that the other party is entitled to make a choice.
Interview/YiRu Edit/Wang Ziqi Post-Production/ZhongYuan
