A new institute devoted to promoting Chinese language and culture will enable the College of William and Mary to expand its global reach and strengthen its focus on internationalization in the 21^st century.

The Confucius Institute at William & Mary (WMCI), a collaborative program in partnership with Beijing Normal University (BNU) and the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban), will work with the College to offer Chinese language and culture courses, provide teacher training, and support study abroad, officials announced Tuesday. Included in this institute will be a new partnership with local school districts and educational opportunities with higher education institutions throughout Virginia.