The University of Queensland has become the eighth Australian university to establish a relationship with the Confucius Institute.

The newest Australian Confucius Institute will be set up at the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus in Brisbane and will have a special emphasis on science, engineering and technology.

Traditionally, Confucius Institutes in Australia have focussed on language and business. Professor Michael Keniger, the University of Queensland’s Senior Vice-Chancellor, said the partnership would create new opportunities for exchange and overseas research.

"This will be a terrific grounding for students and also for Australia, as the nation turns increasingly to professionals and leaders who are fluent in the language and culture of our key international partners," Professor Keniger said.

Tianjin University will be university’s likely Chinese partner. Tianjin University is renowned for its engineering school and has an existing articulation program with Queensland University’s School of Engineering.

The University of Adelaide, the University of Melbourne, the University of Sydney, the University of Western Australia, The University of New South Wales, Queensland University of Technology and RMIT in Melbourne have all established partnerships with the Confucius Institute, a Beijing-based non-profit network by the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban).