The Confucius Institute is a non-profit public institution that aims to promote Chinese language and culture. Following the successes of Germany, France, Spain and the UK to promote their national languages, China decided in 2004 to do the same by establishing Confucius Institutes with offices all over the globe, and headquartered in Beijing, China. The Confucius Institute at Stellenbosch University is located in Stellenbosch University International.