NOLA.com December 14, 2011 Xavier establishes a Confucius Institute NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Xavier University officials say the college is opening a Confucius Institute to help develop Chinese language and culture programs at colleges and at K-12 schools. The college said Tuesday that it had signed an agreement to open a Confucius Institute, the first such institute in Louisiana and first historically black college or university to do so. According to Xavier, there are more than 300 of these institutes worldwide and about 80 in the United States. Xavier is working with Hebei University in Baoding, China, to develop the institute. Xavier's president, Norman Francis, says working with Hebei University would help Xavier students get access to Asia. Xavier will offer Mandarin courses beginning in January. The Confucius Institute is expected to open in the first half of 2012. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.