Close Confucius Institutes, America has a strong desire to devastate Chinese soft power.

Universities in the United States closed Confucius Institutes- the institutions promoting Beijing's soft power ( at overseas) in the context of the concern of Washington's leadership about Chinese cultural influence on the US higher education.

More than 100 Confucius Institutes in America

The university of North Florida is the latest U.S. college to close a campus branch of a Chinese-run cultural institute named after Confucius, a prominent Oriental philosopher.This trend has taken place after amid criticism from U.S. legislators that China uses the institute to influence American higher education.

The Jacksonville-based university said on August 14 the Confucius Institute which was sponsored by China over the past four years to promote language and culture did not meet the university's mission. It did not elaborate on the reasons for ending the partnership, but said the institute would be closed in February, fulfilling a legal obligations to provide six months' notice for ending the contract.

The Confucius Institute headquarters in Beijing and China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The ministry has in the past said the institute is aimed at increasing mutual understanding, and it has urged anyone suspicious of its programs to abandon their "outmoded ideas".

In spite of closing down some Confucius Institue, more than 100 such centers have operated around the United States.The Institute of Chinese Cultural Spreaders was constructed like the models of Western Cultural Institutions such as Institut Fran-ais (French), Goethe Institute (Germany) or British Council (United Kingdom).

A wrap to expand soft power

Florida Senator Marco Rubio welcomed the university's decision. Rubio has been among U.S. lawmakers warning that the Confucius Institute was an effort by China to expand its political influence abroad and had contributed to censorship on U.S. campuses.

Rubio and other lawmakers have pursued legislation that would require universities to disclose major gifts from foreign sources, at a time when U.S. politicians, including President Donald Trump, but also many Democrats, have been pushing a harder line in dealing with China.

Moreover, US-China relations have been currently strained in many aspects. The trade war between these two countries is escalating seriously by mutual, repetitive, punitive sanctions which are called " Tit for tat" policies.

Other major U.S. colleges, including Pennsylvania State University and the University of Chicago, have cut ties with the institute after professors complained its programs were Chinese propaganda wrapped in culture and language education.

Understanding this issue, Professor Joseph S. Nye from Harvard University, a former Assistant Secretary of Defense and also a President of the US National Intelligence Council, pointed out that Confucius Institute is the most successful plan of the Chinese government in promoting their soft power through culture spread on a global scale.

By donating money, materials, and lectures for the opening of Chinese language and culture institutes, this model has created great attraction since it was launched in 2004. By the end of 2017, China has established 525 Confucius Institutes and 1,113 Confucius classes on 146 countries and territories worldwide, mostly in Europe and the United States.

Understanding the teaching materials thoroughly, Confucius Institutes are said to "borrow" the image of a famous Oriental philosopher to spread the interpretation of sensitive issues such as Taiwan, Tibet, human affairs as well as the behavior of the authorities over many domestic and foreign issues.

Gradually, according to US allegations, this cultural promotion model will become a political tool to assault on the ideology of students around the globe.

On the grounf of this reason that in 2014, the American University Professors Association issued a report calling for universities to shut down Confucius Institutes, unless Beijing renegotiated contracts to ensure ability to put Institutes 'academic issues under control.

What has liberal education contributed to Vietnamese education?

The modal of liberal education, which has trained people wholefully, has been highly appreciated to promote the process of reforming higher education in Vietnam.

Mrs Dam Bich Thuy, a Headmaster of Fulbright University Vietnam which has folloed liberal education model said that unlike other education models that teach students knowledge and skills to do a specific job, liberal education aims to 3 principles: teach how to learn, learn how to think and live.

It is not neccessary for the fresh year students answer the question what should they do after graduation to avoid making a decision right after 18 years-old. In the next following years, they have a chance to access to different subjects to make their own decision.

Mrs. Thuy also gave an example of the U.S. famous celebrity. she registered to study Law on account of her parents' expectation. However, after three years of studying, she realized that she did not have passion for studying law. In contrast, she had a strong desire for arts . Therefore, she decided to study art and has accomplished success.

Talking about the interaction between liberal education and Vietnamese education, Doctorate Tran Ngoc Chau, a vice president of Vietnam - US Friendship Association in Ho Chi Minh City, said that Vietnamese education needs a revolution. In Vietnam, liberal education will be the foundation for the era of industrialization and modernization.

According to Mr. Chau, teaching people an inadequate profession is not enough. Individuals must be taught to have a vivid sense of truth, goodness and beauty, if not with their specialized knowledge, learners are just like a trained specialist. A person who has a better training is a person who is harmoniously developed.