THE CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE NETWORK

The article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of educational activity of the Confucius Institute Network, the study of the role of the Institute in the dissemination of educational programs, the Chinese language and culture outside the PRC. According to the Chinese authorities the growing economic power and political influence of modern China presuppose the promotion of China as a center of modern science and education. The functioning of the Institute under the patronage of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China creates a potential problem of defining the border between the enlightening and educational components in the Institute's activity and political propaganda. The Institute's striving for popularizing Chinese culture, introducing the broad masses of the population of other countries to the "Chinese understanding of the world" is often perceived as political context, and the Institute is viewed as an instrument of the foreign policy of the Chinese government. At the same time the educational and cultural activity of the Institute that works in more than 100 countries contributes to the intercultural communication of Chinese communities in these states and the local population. The Institute successfully integrates into the national education systems of many countries and implements numerous educational projects and programs. The authors note that despite the dynamic development, the Institute's final institutionalization has not occurred yet, and the format of activity varies from country to country, from university to university. The study attaches a high value to the Institute's contribution to interuniversity cooperation between Chinese universities and their partner universities abroad. The Institute has become China's platform for the emergence of Chinese education at the global level. Special attention is paid to the authors' consideration of the Institute functioning practice on the territory of Russia and in the Commonwealth of Independent States.