The Confucius Research Institute is a public research institution based in Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, and managed by the Nishan World Center for Confucian Studies. Dedicated to studying and transmitting China’s outstanding traditional culture, it focuses on Confucius and Confucian philosophy, classical texts, ritual and music traditions, exchanges among civilizations, and Chinese and Western classical studies. The institute conducts organized research through specialist centers, including the Research Center for Exchanges and Mutual Learning Among Civilizations and the Center for Studies of Confucian Classics and Documents.

It also shares scholarship with public audiences through lectures and educational programs such as the Confucius Lecture Hall, Yilun Lecture Hall, and Spring and Autumn Forum. Its activities include academic workshops, international and intercultural forums, visiting-scholar programs, and cultural events. The institute collects Confucian literature and publishes research and books by its scholars, while supporting public learning about Confucius and traditional culture through exhibitions, cultural transmission programs, and the Confucius Institute Headquarters Experience Base