China Institute in America is a
nonprofit educational and cultural institution in
New York City. Its programs highlight Chinese culture and history through talks, business initiatives, language immersion programs and gallery exhibitions.[1] The China Institute hosts a
Confucius Institute in partnership with the
East China Normal University.[2][3][4]
History
China Institute was founded in 1926 by a group of American and Chinese educators—including educational philosopher
John Dewey of
Columbia University and Chinese educator
Hu Shih (later president of
Beijing University and China's ambassador to the U.S.)[5]
China Institute is believed to be the oldest educational organization devoted solely to Chinese culture, and has drawn one million visitors in its nearly hundred years of existence.[6][7][8] Following the 1949 establishment of the
People's Republic of China, the organization lost many of its ties to the Chinese mainland.[8] In 2015, China Institute announced plans to move from the Upper East Side to Lower Manhattan the following year.[7] The new space at 100 Washington Street opened in November 2016, coinciding with the gallery's fiftieth anniversary.[9]