1、 Introduction

Emphasis was placed on the crucial role of Confucius Institutes in promoting the overseas dissemination of Chinese language and culture, as well as the importance of studying the development dynamics of Confucius Institutes worldwide. Introduced the "Chinese International Communication Dynamic Development and Monitoring Database" and its sub database "Confucius Institute Development Database", which provide data support for regional research on Confucius Institutes worldwide. Special attention should be paid to the development of Confucius Institutes in Central Asia, including their quantity and distribution, as well as their role in promoting cultural exchanges between China and Central Asian countries. At the same time, the shortcomings of the Central Asian Confucius Institute's research were pointed out, including a small number of studies, limited academic influence, and an incomplete content system. Finally, the question of studying the development level, characteristics, and implications of Central Asian Confucius Institutes was proposed, aiming to provide reference for comparative research and decision-makers of Confucius Institutes worldwide.

2、 Research Design

Based on the major bidding project of the National Social Science Fund, a database for the development of Confucius Institutes in Central Asian countries has been constructed, and the research sample size has been determined. By constructing an indicator framework to reflect the quantity, scale, and quality of the development of Confucius Institute, the weights of the indicators are determined using the Analytic Hierarchy Process. The research steps include establishing a database of Central Asian Confucius Institutes, constructing a simple indicator framework, and using Analytic Hierarchy Process to determine weights. The database contains 99 year-end summary reports and extracts data from the past five years for text purification and calibration. The indicator framework mainly examines the development of Confucius Institute from two aspects: Chinese language teaching and cultural activities, including the number of class hours, students, and candidates in the academic year. The Analytic Hierarchy Process combines quantitative and qualitative analysis to determine weights through expert group decision-making. Research shows that the Central Asian Confucius Institute currently focuses on quantity and scale, and also pays certain attention to quality and efficiency. There are differences in the views of different decision-making expert groups on the weight of indicators, reflecting that the development of Confucius Institute is in the process of transitioning from quantity and scale to improving quality and efficiency.

3、 Research results

A multidimensional comparative analysis was conducted on the development scale and effectiveness of Confucius Institutes in Central Asian countries through the database of Confucius Institutes in Central Asia. The study found that although there are missing data, the overall trend is clear. In the comparison of individual indicators over time, Confucius Institutes in Kyrgyzstan performed outstandingly in most indicators, but some indicators showed a decline in 2018. Confucius Institutes in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan perform similarly on most indicators, while Confucius Institutes in Uzbekistan are at a lower level on most indicators.

4、 Research prospects

A paradigm for comparative research on the development of Confucius Institutes worldwide has been proposed, including steps such as establishing a database, constructing a comparative framework, data extraction and purification, group decision-making optimization, and multidimensional analysis, to ensure the reliability and replicability of the comparison. The study revealed the hierarchical status and overall characteristics of Confucius Institutes in Central Asia, such as the highest level of dissemination of Confucius Institutes in Kyrgyzstan, prominent cultural activities in Confucius Institutes in Tajikistan, a large number of Confucius Institutes in Kazakhstan with a lower level of development, and a focus on Chinese language teaching in Confucius Institutes in Ukraine. At the same time, the study also proposed a series of specific management issues and research topics, such as monitoring the development trend of Central Asian Confucius Institutes, analyzing the factors affecting the differences in Chinese language learners' proficiency, and analyzing the coordination mechanism between cultural activities and Chinese language teaching.