Hoping to strengthen the educational opportunities between the United States and China, Miami Dade College has struck a deal with the Chinese Ministry of Education to house the Confucius Institute.

The institute, to be opened within a year at Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami, will be a nonprofit and has the approval of the Chinese Language Council International.

To mark the partnership, there will be a signing ceremony at 12:30 p.m. Thursday in Room 1479 of MDC's Wolfson Campus at 300 NE Second Ave. China's consul for education will attend.

MDC was awarded the institute because of its past connections with China and because it's the largest institution of higher education in the United States, the college said in a prepared statement.

China's Xuzhou Normal University will be MDC's partner in the institute and will provide the school with additional Chinese language professors and teaching resources.

Among the institute's goals:

• Teach Chinese language and provide teaching resources.

• Train Chinese language instructors.

• Administer the Chinese Proficiency Test to certify those who can teach the language.

• Provide information and consultative services concerning China's education and culture.

• Conduct language and cultural exchange activities.

• Facilitate scholarly research on China.

• Certify Chinese language teachers in the region.

• Facilitate business exchanges and seminars.

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