William (Bill) Lynch has been named interim director of Confucius Institute, Webster University’s branch of the Chinese language and culture education program sponsored in part by the Chinese government.
“There should be no impact to the services offered by the Confucius Institute,” said director of public relations Patrick Giblin. “The purpose of an interim appointment is to ensure that the day-to-day operations continue with minimal interruptions.”
Lynch has a part of Webster’s international efforts for years. He is a professor in the Conservatory of Theatre Arts. From 2009 to 2015, he served as director of Webster’s campus in London. He rejoined the St. Louis faculty since last academic year.
His appointment to the position is also part of ongoing Webster’s globalization strategy aimed at providing greater opportunities in the global educational mission.
As interim director, Lynch will work with senior staff of the Confucius Institute to fulfill its mission of providing Chinese language and culture education at Webster and throughout the St. Louis community. He will monitor Confucius Institute’s work, including teaching, providing teaching resources, cultural activities, scholarships and organized study trips to China.
Lynch will serve as interim director until Webster recruits a permanent director. According to Giblin, process like this usually takes a year to 18 months to complete based on record from the past.
Webster University’s Confucius Institute was established in November 2007 in partnership with Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) and Hanban, an arm of the Chinese Ministry of Education. This fall, two visiting professors and four volunteer teachers from BLCU are teaching Chinese courses at Webster University and area high schools. Webster’s Confucius Institute was twice named Confucius Institute of the Year by Hanban.
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