1、 Introduction

This article introduces the background, purpose, and global influence of Confucius Institutes as non-profit educational institutions, reviews the achievements of Confucius Institutes in the past 20 years, and outlines the current status of research on Confucius Institutes by scholars at home and abroad. This study uses CiteSpace software to comprehensively review and analyze literature from the past 20 years, focusing on new developments after 2020. The aim is to present a panoramic view of the trends and characteristics of research on Confucius Institutes and provide suggestions for future research directions.

2、 Research Methods and Data Processing

Introduced the application of bibliometric methods and CiteSpace software in the research of Confucius Institutes. Through CiteSpace, a quantitative analysis was conducted on the literature related to Confucius Institutes in China National Knowledge Infrastructure, key information was screened, and research hotspots and patterns were discovered. The data source is China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and 1485 valid journal articles were retrieved. Divide the research into the past and present based on the time node of the Confucius Institute brand operation change in July 2020.

3、 The Origin and Review of Research on Confucius Institutes

In 2004, China began to establish Confucius Institutes overseas, and the Seoul Confucius Institute in South Korea became the world's first. Subsequently, Confucius Institutes were established in Asia, America, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. In 2006, the first Global Confucius Institute Conference was held, and Confucius Institute Day was established in 2014. From 2004 to 2020, there were a total of 1234 research papers on Confucius Institutes, and the co-occurrence knowledge graph of keywords showed 192 nodes and 209 connections. The research mainly focuses on seven aspects: teaching research, development research, impact research, public opinion research, case studies, comparative research, and characteristic research. Teaching research focuses on the characteristics of Chinese language teaching, international Chinese teacher research, and textbook development. Development research focuses on practical achievements such as expanding the scale of education and improving the quality of education. Impact research evaluates the impact of Confucius Institutes on a global scale. Public opinion research focuses on public image and public opinion response. Case studies focus on the operational models and characteristics of Confucius Institutes in specific countries or regions. Comparative research focuses on the comparison between Confucius Institutes and language and cultural promotion institutions in other countries. Characteristic research focuses on the diversification and professionalization trends of Confucius Institutes.

4、 The development and breakthroughs of research on Confucius Institutes in recent years

Discussed the development and breakthroughs of Confucius Institute research from 2021 to 2024. Firstly, the headquarters of Confucius Institutes has been renamed as the Center for Chinese Foreign Language Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education, and the China International Chinese Education Foundation has obtained a trademark license to operate under a brand authorization model. Secondly, through the analysis of 251 key words of journal literature, it is found that the research has made breakthroughs in the characteristic Confucius Institute, the construction of the "the Belt and Road" and the localization process. The research on characteristic Confucius Institutes emphasizes the combination of traditional Chinese medicine culture and Confucius Institutes, promoting the international dissemination of excellent traditional Chinese culture. In the construction of the "the Belt and Road", research focuses on optimizing the development pattern of Confucius Institutes and adhering to the principle of culture first. The study of localization process focuses on how Confucius Institutes can adapt to local needs, integrate into society, and achieve sustainable development, including the localization of Chinese international communication and the training of local Chinese teachers in overseas Confucius Institutes.

5、 Analysis and Prospect of Research on Confucius Institutes

Analyze the development process of research on Confucius Institutes from both synchronic and diachronic perspectives. The synchronic perspective reveals the hot topics and attention tendencies of Confucius Institute research through keyword co-occurrence analysis, while the diachronic perspective displays the evolution characteristics of research over the past 20 years through literature quantity and content analysis. Research has found that the research topics of Confucius Institutes have shifted from micro level issues to macro level issues, the content has shifted from self-development to collaborative development, and the research methods have shifted from qualitative research to a combination of quantitative and qualitative research. Future research suggests expanding the research domain, innovating research perspectives, and enriching research methods to deepen our understanding of the development model and impact mechanism of Confucius Institutes.

6、 Conclusion

By analyzing the research literature on Confucius Institutes using CiteSpace software, this paper reviews the development history of Confucius Institutes and looks forward to future development directions. In the past 20 years, the "going global" and "the Belt and Road" of Chinese culture have brought opportunities for the development of Confucius Institute, and the number of people learning Chinese around the world has continued to grow. The construction of Confucius Institutes has made gratifying progress. But to achieve healthy and sustainable development, it is also necessary to pay attention to theoretical and methodological research. Scholars and industry should continue to conduct academic research, conduct extensive investigations, seize new opportunities, respond to new challenges, and promote the high-quality development of overseas Confucius Institutes.