Read on Twitter
Apparently the UCD Confucius Institute under the label “The Irish Institute for Chinese Studies” can hire permanent faculty to teach at UCD and nobody in university management seems to think that’s problematic. https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CFK602/lecturer-assistant-professor-in-chinese-language
To be clear and to state the obvious, it is highly problematic for several reasons:
1) we’ve been told repeatedly not to worry about the CI since it’s just about language & culture. The CI is now directly involved in curriculum and hiring decisions at the university.
1) we’ve been told repeatedly not to worry about the CI since it’s just about language & culture. The CI is now directly involved in curriculum and hiring decisions at the university.
2) the IICS is a Confucius Institute entity - same director, building, and (so far as I know) oversight. Trying to re-brand this as an independent institute seems disingenuous.
3) I assume these permanent hires are paid for by university budget lines but overseen by the CI governing structure. Meaning: UCD is not only tolerating a 
government-controlled entity overseeing its China Studies efforts... it’s apparently *paying for the privilege*.
government-controlled entity overseeing its China Studies efforts... it’s apparently *paying for the privilege*.
3a) if the budget point is wrong happy to be corrected.
For excellent threads on why this is problematic in a more macro context see @SheenaGreitens https://twitter.com/sheenagreitens/status/1382022648729862147
And - when available - the recording of the panel that @Bentonra organised a few weeks ago at UCD on academic freedom & internationalisation w/ guests @CooleyOnEurasia @SophieHRW & @CatOwenExeter
