Confucius Institutes (simplified Chinese: 孔子学院; traditional Chinese: 孔子學院; pinyin: kǒngzǐ xuéyuàn) are non-profit public institutions that aim to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally, as well as facilitating cultural exchanges. They are frequently compared to language and culture promotion organizations based in European countries such as France's Alliance Française and Germany's Goethe-Institut. Confucius Institute (CI) headquarters are located in Beijing. The program was started in 2004 and is financed by the Office of Chinese Language Council International (colloquially, Hanban (汉办)), a non-profit organization affiliated with the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. The institutes operate in co-operation with local affiliate colleges and universities around the world. The related Confucius Classroom program partners with local secondary schools or school districts to provide teachers and instructional materials.