The students are participating in an annual culture and language learning trip to China through the University of Maryland's Confucius Institute.

CNN: Group of 22 U.S. students quarantined in China

Aware of the need for intellectuals, politicians and civil society from everywhere to rally this cause, UNESCO and the Confucius Institute of the People's Republic of China Headquarters have joined forces to host the Paris-Nishan Forum on "Confucianism and New Humanism in a Globalized World" at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 16 April 2012.

UNESCO: House | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization