Li Changchun
Established in 2007, the Confucius Institute at Troy University is a public institution affiliated with the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, funded and arranged in part by Hanban, which is itself affiliated with the Chinese government, and the stated aim of which is to promote the Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching, and facilitate cultural exchanges. The institute also offers summer camps for high school students, consultation for economic development, and promotion of Chinese outreach programs. Some have expressed concerns related to academic freedom and political influence of the Chinese government specially regarding such things as the comment of a former senior Chinese official, Li Changchun that Confucius Institutes are "an important part of China's overseas propaganda set-up". Troy University was the first college in Alabama to open a Confucius Institute.